As the images of students pursuing medical degrees from Ukraine making their way back to India pore in, one tends to reflect, can adjustments be made in the recently cleared NEP (New Education Policy)? Vasudhaiva Kutumbhakam (the world is one family) had been proffessed by our sages long long time back. Can we have that large a view when we frame education policies – for those within a nation as well as those those aspiring to be ideal global citizens?
In the anions of time, we have had different examples of challenges and circumstances surrounding knowledge and dharma (that which binds one and all). In Treta yuga (timeframes representing thousand and thousands of years), it is said Guha (Nishadraj) studied with Lord Rama in Sage Vasistha’s gurukula and Rama reciprocated that friendship by accepting his hospitality but not entering his kingdom due to his word to be in exile. In Dwapara yuga (the next in sequence), Ekalavya (the Nishad prince) when refused by Guru Dronacharya (Bharadwaj Rishis’s son) singlemindedly pursued his knowledge of archery keeping the idol of his Guru as his Teacher. The amazing powers that he amassed had Guru Drona asking him his thumb as Guru dakshina (given that Dronacharya had pledged to make Arjuna the best archer). Ekalavya immediately gave his thumb knowing fully well what that meant at a physical level. In Kali yuga (where we are today), my teacher Swami Rama said, the strength is in collectivism. But as he said in his last message, “The whole world has become a small family. But now we have to learn how to live with each other, how to behave with each other. And it is only love that will help, actually. And a selfless person alone had capacity to love others, so selflessness is the foundation stone of entire life concept.”
