Food for thought on first day

Justice (retired) V.R. Krishna Iyer has issued the following message on the reopening day of schools in Kerala:

The greatness of a nation is measured by the glory of its culture. The foundation of India’s cultural development depends on the sense of justice, fraternity and integrity of the younger generations. Well begun is half done. Today most schools open their classes.

The young children who go to school will tomorrow be the builders of a brave new Bharat. They have to acquire the quality of discipline, learn clean habits, moral principles, spiritual values and patriotic dedication to the nation, with a fundamental commitment to unite the country in fraternity and integrity.

Anything narrow will make their minds small. The Vedic wisdom that we have inherited, the Arab global brotherhood and the universal love of Jesus together make India the richest cultural country of Asia.

Today you have joined school. Tomorrow you will be educated as great citizens. All Indian citizens are brothers and sisters. The misery of your neighbour is your concern. To wipe every tear from every sorrowful eye is your duty. This is the teaching of the Mahatma. Learn the teachings of Lord Buddha, the guru of India. Swami Vivekananda inspired India and he was a disciple of Ramakrishna Paramhamsa.

These great cultural wonders must be the Ganga of Indian wisdom.

But remember, Indian unity, which spreads from Kanyakumari to the high Himalayas, is to be maintained. Today, the first day of your schooling, is the starting point of the Indian ocean of knowledge.

The great rivers of India in the north and the splendid everlasting flows of the south together make India’s wealth. India is a rich country with the poor people in a majority. Never forget our first duty. Vivekananda taught us this: Daridra Devo Bhava.

We have a Planning Commission that plans the resources of the nation for the prosperity of the people. The West made us commercial. Acquisition of wealth became our craze and our spiritual assets became a casualty. Our moral values, like the sublime duty of compassion towards all living creatures, also suffer.

Max Mueller told us what this treasure of India’s past was. Today, the first day, when the new generation reads the first page of the books of India, marks the sowing of the seed of the grand banyan tree under whose shade Lord Buddha’s wisdom dawned.

Every Indian has this as his heirloom. Our guru is Mahatma Gandhi and our textbook the Constitution of India. We have inherited a store-house of learning in the literature that we have inherited. This is the great Indian book we have to read and master. This is the unwritten master plan before you.

This is the duty before you. Win cultural India through this process. That is your fundamental duty, and the directive principles of educational policy.

The Hindu