startling banals
02 March 2006
The parrot's training - Tagore
Mere words cannot convey the truth
They always miss it, pass it by
Distort it just enough to change
A perfect truth to partial lie.
- "Power For All or For None (1998)" - Everett Reimer
Today I read a story by Tagore - "The parrot's training"
It reflects Tagore's views on "education" and his disdain for structured schooling.
To quote from wikipedia's article on Tagore,
Writing of the rote-oriented education system introduced in India under the British Raj, he once said:
"We pass examinations, and shrivel up into clerks, lawyers and police inspectors, and we die young .... Once upon a time we were in possession of such a thing as our mind in India. It was living. It thought, it felt, it expressed itself. But it has been thrust aside, and we are made to tread the mill of passing examinations, not for learning anything, but for notifying that we are qualified for employment under organizations conducted in English. Our educated community is not a cultured community, but a community of qualified candidates."
I sent the parrot story to my friend tanmoy, who said he had read it in school as a child. They had to write the "moral of the story" for this tale. Ironic! :D
They always miss it, pass it by
Distort it just enough to change
A perfect truth to partial lie.
- "Power For All or For None (1998)" - Everett Reimer
Today I read a story by Tagore - "The parrot's training"
It reflects Tagore's views on "education" and his disdain for structured schooling.
To quote from wikipedia's article on Tagore,
Writing of the rote-oriented education system introduced in India under the British Raj, he once said:
"We pass examinations, and shrivel up into clerks, lawyers and police inspectors, and we die young .... Once upon a time we were in possession of such a thing as our mind in India. It was living. It thought, it felt, it expressed itself. But it has been thrust aside, and we are made to tread the mill of passing examinations, not for learning anything, but for notifying that we are qualified for employment under organizations conducted in English. Our educated community is not a cultured community, but a community of qualified candidates."
I sent the parrot story to my friend tanmoy, who said he had read it in school as a child. They had to write the "moral of the story" for this tale. Ironic! :D
4 Comments:
what did tanmoy write about the moral of the story? :-)
Well it is tragic, but in india, now the golden cages are no more and there are no more pretty pundits, the execution now is bit more painful, perhaps.....
Well it is tragic, but in india, now the golden cages are no more and there are no more pretty pundits, the execution now is bit more painful, perhaps.....
TD ne likha ki bachho se aisi kahaaniya nahi padhwani chahiye aur moral to kabhi poonchna hi nahi chahiye :-j hehehe
yaar kuch original likhne ka mann karta hai. apne iit ke schooling experience ke baare mein likhte hai na, esp jo facad, acad section, dosa, dept ug committee etc etc logo ke saath pangey hue the. majaa aaega bol raha hu, aur masala bhi to bahot hai pne paas.
kaa ko bhi contribute karne ko bol sakte hai.
yaar kuch original likhne ka mann karta hai. apne iit ke schooling experience ke baare mein likhte hai na, esp jo facad, acad section, dosa, dept ug committee etc etc logo ke saath pangey hue the. majaa aaega bol raha hu, aur masala bhi to bahot hai pne paas.
kaa ko bhi contribute karne ko bol sakte hai.
haan to likh original..:-D
iit ke baare mein kya likhe yaar...pain ho gaya tha wahan aur maja bhi aaya, lekin we can write something..but it is very confusing, kuch romantic story likte hain, "Romance in IIT" or something like
that. Nahi to sad story, ya fir comedy,
iit ke baare mein kya likhe yaar...pain ho gaya tha wahan aur maja bhi aaya, lekin we can write something..but it is very confusing, kuch romantic story likte hain, "Romance in IIT" or something like
that. Nahi to sad story, ya fir comedy,
bahut sahi idea hai...chaloo karo !!