CHILDREN SHOULD KNOW ABOUT DICHOTOMIES
At a time when intolerance regarding anything and everything without proper understanding of the matter has become very prevalent, I think it’s highly important that the youth of today are informed and ‘sensitised’ on various social issues and the dichotomies in society. Instead of completely omitting chapters on caste struggles against the dominant caste dictatorship, it is more imperative that such topics be made part of the syllabus so that children get a clear distinction of various inequalities that society had upheld. We are at the cusp of a technology revolution where people have become indifferent to the inequalities existing in society. Then how can we expect the coming generations to understand society and take it forward?
The ‘Maru Marakkal Samaram’ or the ‘Channar Revolt’ was a huge stepping stone in the fight for equality. The stories of great sacrifices like that of Nangeli, the woman who cut off her breasts as a protest against the breast tax system (which resulted in the annulment of the system in Travancore), must be included in textbooks. Students should be aware of caste, class, community, religion and their politics. The journey holds the pot of knowledge than the destination you are in.
If we do not know how long it took us to get here or the sacrifices that have been made by generations of communities, how can we appreciate the privileges that we enjoy today?
Erasing relevant history to suit the personal propaganda of a select few at the cost of the future generations is not only a shameful act, but a heinous crime!