The Basics

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjGL6YY6oMs

The interview above with Malala Yousafzai has been making it's round on the internet. It brings about one topic that has been debated on countless time and that is education.

I don't know if this was subconsciously in my head, but this happened to be the theme of today as I watched Aarakshan by Prakash Jha.

Both bring about the same points about education, that it brings about equality and no one should have it taken away from them. Of course it looks at it from different points of view, for Aarakshan, it was education for the lower caste and the reservation system while for Malala, it was education for women.

We come from a society where education empowers people. Education shouldn't have to be for selective people, but for everyone. When people say that someone doesn't deserve education, the answer should be that everyone does. Everyone is a human being. Education should be given freely to empower the future generation. If a women is educated, she is able to study for a degree and help her family by earning money. She doesn't have to sit at home and take care of the house if she doesn't want to. If she does, then great, but she should have the choice.

In the movie Aarakshan, the reservation system was brought into question. Whether people in lower castes should be allocated a certain percentage in colleges. Why should we live in a society in which such conditions exist? Shouldn't we live in a place where everyone starts off in the same platform? Shouldn't we able to provide at least basic education to our children so that everyone has the same chance for life and strive for a better future.

Every country talks about the future generation and how they will bring about a change in the world, but if a large percentage of the doesn't even get basic education for cleanliness, forget proper classes, then what hope do we have?

Free education should be given to everyone. No matter their caste, gender, religion, etc. We are all here to make the world a better place, so let's start from the basics.

S

Changing the country

On Wednesday, I went to a talk by Paul Beckett who is the South Asia Bureau Chief at the WSJ. He was talking about the Delhi Rape Case; summarising it and telling us how we can prevent this. It was a highly interesting talk and it brought about certain points which I think are relevant in a society like ours.

The problem is that it is our fault. As a society. When India claims that it is moving forward, yes it is. But our mentality sometimes isn't. How is it that when women have fought so hard for equality, there is rape that happens on a daily basis? How is it that SOME men think that they are superior and basically use their physical strength to make women feel inferior?

It all comes down to basics. We have to create a society where women are more educated. So that they can judge better and not be silent. Women have to be more independent, and that can only happen when every single girl in India gets an education. She has to be taught to be independent, fearless, and told that she is the future of the nation. And boys, they have to learn to treat them with respect. Isn't it your mother who gave birth to you? Isn't she the one that brought you up with so much love? Then why is it that these men think that it is ok to abuse the same sex that have given them unconditional love.

Just think about it. What if she was your sister? What if she was your mother? Your aunt? If you were their relative, wouldn't your blood boil?

So think about it. The change happens with us. If we are able to offer young girls the education that they need to make better life decisions, and we are able to bring up boys to respect them, then wouldn't we live in a better world?

S