Rajeev Shankar

May 30, 2016

Britain’s headache: Remain or Leave

Following London’s mayoral elections held in early May, the centre of political debates in the UK has shifted to 23 June EU referendum, which will bring a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for majority of the population barring those from non-UK EU states. The referendum will decide whether the UK
would stay in or leave the European Union. The core debate centres around “would Brexit – a shorthand way of mentioning the Britain leaving the EU – make the UK "great" again or risk the kingdom’s global power standing?”

The stakes are high for the UK, as well as globally, particularly for member states of the EU. For EU, which is often blamed by critics for its undemocratic style of functioning, it is immensely important to have UK in the bloc, especially since the union is rapidly losing its influence given the persisting economic downturn of the region and overwhelming migrant crisis. An EU without UK Will leave the group further crumble – economically and strategically too.

The ‘Remain’ camp supported by UK Prime Minister David Cameron, as well as several world leaders, including US President Barrack Obama, claim that the UK is stronger inside the EU, and leaving the union will have devastating impact on the country’s economy. ‘Leave’ campaigners argue that a vote to leave the EU would be a vote for freedom and restoration of democracy, as it would allow UK to control unregulated mass migration of unskilled workers from European countries and take back control of various trade policies and laws imposed on the country by the EU.

A Brexit cartoon

The pervasive Euroscepticism in Britain has some historical contexts attached to it. A significant number of British people do not see themselves as European. A survey by European Commission in 2015 indicated that around 55% of UK nationals saw themselves as EU citizens, compared to a 67% average in rest of the union. In addition, Britain does not share any land borders with Europe and is detached from mainland continent by several miles of sea. Centuries of tussle with France, Germany and Romans further draws a thick line between British and European identities.

British public appears to be evenly split on the 23 June referendum. Various surveys indicate that ‘Vote Leave’ has around 45% of the vote share, with ‘Vote Remain’ on marginally more than 50%. Going by the opinion polls, which have persistently shown ‘Remain’ camp leading the vote share for over the past several months, the possibility of Brexit looks weak despite the public concern over immigration and border control have recently delivered a boost to the ‘Leave’ campaign.

Regardless of whether the UK stays in or leaves, the referendum poses several harsh questions for the EU to answer and challenges to meet if it does not want to lose its significance in the coming years. Opinions vastly differ as to whether the EU faces a democratic deficit and its style of governance lacks democratic legitimacy. While several EU leaders and supporters are calling for a reformation of the bloc, the union’s critics suggest that it should condense its power or should just disintegrate.

March 04, 2015

Politicising education: a policy curse

A friend of mine sent me a short video documentary last week that somehow startled me, propelling to research about the issue discussed in the film. The video -- recorded by a local Hindi news channel in the northern part of Bihar, one of the most backward regions of India -- shows a teacher at a primary school teaching children. The lady teacher is giving English lesson to children about the names of the days of the week. She scribbles on the blackboard, spelling Sunday as 'Sande' and Monday as 'Mande.' Appalled at what the filmmaker sees, he asks the teacher whether she really knows the right spelling of these words. She fails to answer, fidgeting that she can't recall the right spelling.

The sad fact is, it is the same plight thousands of other state-run schools not just in Bihar, but all other states in India, suffer from. The faulty selection process of inefficient teachers -- mainly because of various populist policies of the government -- adversely impacts the quality of education. The Government of India's National Policy on Education, which promotes education in the country and covers elementary education to colleges in both urban and rural parts of the country, emphasises on a substantial improvement in the quality of education. More than 45 years have passed since the policy was first implemented in 1968, isn't it worth asking whether India has achieved the desired improvement, as well as dissemination of quality education among its citizens?

It is not about teachers and the defective process adopted by the government in teachers' selection based on the caste, religion and gender the applicants belong to, it is about the value that a country puts in education. And we seem to be boldly and deliberately ignoring the value for decades. From elementary to college level, every aspect of education provided by the state continues to be marred by politics and excessive bureaucracy resulting in severe policy paralysis that affect students the most.

Although education sector in India is rapidly being privatised, with patents unwilling to send their children to state-run schools because of reasons I mentioned earlier, there are millions of parents who can not afford exorbitant fee charged by private schools and are compelled to enroll their kids in state-run schools that allow free education to all. While there is little hope situation will improve anytime soon, intelligentsia of the society should seriously ponder and discuss about the worsening education system in the country, especially about the poor standard of teaching.

Urgently in need is to get rid of reluctance of taking steps to raise teaching profession to an important level, which can provide quality education to children studying in state-run schools. Only by making it selective and rigorous, we can rebuild the trust that we can repose in teaching as one of the most intellectually demanding and emotionally challenging profession in today's world. Also, a government must understand that populist policies are fine tactics for winning elections, but applying those in the field of education will prove counterproductive in terms of overall development of the sector.

March 08, 2014

Nietzsche's Zarathustra

“Of all that is written, I love only what a person hath written with his blood. Write with blood, and thou wilt find that blood is spirit.

It is no easy task to understand unfamiliar blood; I hate the reading idlers.
He who knoweth the reader, doeth nothing more for the reader. Another century of readers--and spirit itself will stink.

Every one being allowed to learn to read, ruineth in the long run not only writing but also thinking.
Once spirit was God, then it became man, and now it even becometh populace.

He that writeth in blood and proverbs doth not want to be read, but learnt by heart.

In the mountains the shortest way is from peak to peak, but for that route thou must have long legs. Proverbs should be peaks, and those spoken to should be big and tall.

The atmosphere rare and pure, danger near and the spirit full of a joyful wickedness: thus are things well matched.

I want to have goblins about me, for I am courageous. The courage which scareth away ghosts, createth for itself goblins--it wanteth to laugh.”

Also sprach Zarathustra (Thus Spoke Zarathustra). A year after reading Nietzsche's book -- described by himself as "the deepest ever written" -- I vaguely remember the chronological order of the events and didactic messages of Zarathustra, though the philosophical insights that I got while reading it remains a literary and intellectual asset till date. Aptly said, it is "Ein Buch für Alle und Keinen (A Book for All and None)." One either agrees or disagrees with his startling revelation of his own thoughts and ideas on myriad of issues, particularly related to eternal recurrence and morality of religion.

Of all great and evil things Nietzsche wrote in Thus Spoke Zarathustra, his thoughts on existentialism -- a complex philosophical term that continues to confuse as well as bewitch me since I read about it seven-eight years ago -- has been brilliantly conveyed through Zarathustra, the protagonist of the book who has descended from his mountain retreat to mankind. Here is a simply expressed streak of his existential thoughts:

“But the worst enemy you can meet will always be yourself; you lie in wait for yourself in caverns and forests. Lonely one, you are going the way to yourself! And your way goes past yourself, and past your seven devils! You will be a heretic to yourself and witch and soothsayer and fool and doubter and unholy one and villain. You must be ready to burn yourself in your own flame: how could you become new, if you had not first become ashes?”

And this poetically sums up Zarathustra's concept of Übermensch (superhuman, a self-mastered person), which one constantly encounters while reading the book:

“I love those that know not how to live except as down-goers, for they are the over-goers.

I love the great despisers, because they are the great adorers, and arrows of longing for the other shore.

I love those who do not first seek a reason beyond the stars for going down and being sacrifices, but sacrifice themselves to the earth, that the earth of the Superman may hereafter arrive.

I love him who lives in order to know, and seeks to know in order that the Superman may hereafter live.

Thus seeks he his own down-going.

I love him who labors and invents, that he may build the house for the Superman, and prepare for him earth, animal, and plant: for thus seeks he his own down-going.

I love him who loves his virtue: for virtue is the will to down-going, and an arrow of longing.

I love him who reserves no share of spirit for himself, but wants to be wholly the spirit of his virtue: thus walks he as spirit over the bridge.

I love him who makes his virtue his inclination and destiny: thus, for the sake of his virtue, he is willing to live on, or live no more.

I love him who desires not too many virtues. One virtue is more of a virtue than two, because it is more of a knot for one's destiny to cling to.

I love him whose soul is lavish, who wants no thanks and does not give back: for he always bestows, and desires not to keep for himself.

I love him who is ashamed when the dice fall in his favor, and who then asks: "Am I a dishonest player?"--for he is willing to succumb.

I love him who scatters golden words in advance of his deeds, and always does more than he promises: for he seeks his own down-going.

I love him who justifies the future ones, and redeems the past ones: for he is willing to succumb through the present ones.

I love him who chastens his God, because he loves his God: for he must succumb through the wrath of his God.

I love him whose soul is deep even in the wounding, and may succumb through a small matter: thus goes he willingly over the bridge.

I love him whose soul is so overfull that he forgets himself, and all things that are in him: thus all things become his down-going.

I love him who is of a free spirit and a free heart: thus is his head only the bowels of his heart; his heart, however, causes his down-going.

I love all who are like heavy drops falling one by one out of the dark cloud that lowers over man: they herald the coming of the lightning, and succumb as heralds.”

And ultimately, "you know these things as thoughts, but your thoughts are not your experiences, they are an echo and after-effect of your experiences."

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