Being a good citizen means treading a continuous path between rights and duties. It is also a constant process of a pull between tolerance and defiance.
Rights and duties involve giving and taking. Our Indian culture has always emphasised duties, sacrifice and giving. An example is the story of Daanvir Karn (one of the major characters in Mahabharata) who gave away his protective body shield even though he knew that he would be vulnerable and could die. Others are those about the kind King Shibi who donated his flesh to save a dove from an eagle. Shri Rama, the revered Hindu deity, gave up his kingdom to preserve the honour of his father as his stepmother wanted her son Bharat to be the king’s heir instead of Rama. When Rama was banished for 14 years to the forest, Bharat showed respect for his brother by never sitting on the throne.
Women have been role models of giving and sacrifice. From early on, duties were ingrained in girls as future mothers and wives in their households. However, it is also a fact that at some point in time, such tolerance can encourage others to be exploitative, which is when being aware about rights is important.
Active citizens are inculcated with the right values to carry out their duties and responsibilities and work diligently towards fulfilling these. Further, active citizens have the necessary awareness about rights in order to prevent exploitation of their personal self and of their community. They should have courage to speak against wrongs and the persistence to change them.
Values are shaped by beliefs, while these beliefs are formed by experiences and imagination. Stories, festivals, food, art, dance, fashion, music, and rituals can help to shape young minds and influence them about what to believe. As one goes through the great stories and epics of India, one encounters heroes who follow rules (such as Shri Rama), as well as rule-following villains (Duryodhana, the eldest of the 100 Kauravas, sons of King Dhritarashtra), rule-breaking heroes (Krishna, the Hindu deity) and rule-breaking villains (Ravana, the demon king). Ravana and Duryodhana are never dismissed or dehumanised. The Ramayana, the renowned epic, repeatedly reminds us of how intelligent and what an accomplished scholar Ravana was. At the end of the Mahabharata epic, Duryodhana is given a place in paradise. Thus, goodness or righteousness is not dependent only on rules, but on why rules are followed or broken. For example, if a rule-following doctor does not treat an accident patient quickly, is he a doctor? If a learned judge takes money to settle a case, is he learned? If a rich student from a top-ranking college is in depression because he loses his lucrative job, has he out-grown his fears?
Therefore, a rich culture replete with discussions and expressions through stories, festivals, arts and dance forms can help to build a set of values. Beliefs and values are also shaped by life experiences. For example, when children try to imitate the parents in what they do, like cooking, folding clothes or cleaning, why is it that as they grow up, they stop participating in these activities?
Our education system can be passive and elitist. Teachers come prepared to the class and yet, some students do not even ask questions. They can choose not to listen, showing a lack of responsibility, especially if they think organising the activities of the school is someone else’s duty. Children should participate in keeping the school, toilets and neighbourhood clean and attractive. They should participate in organising the class, creating discussions and taking responsibility for their own learning.
My duty starts with my own home, so I should ask myself questions like: Do I make my bed when I wake up in morning? Do I rinse my plate after meals and put it in the sink? Do I contribute to household chores? Have I undertaken a household duty, which I do correctly, without complaining? Small actions like serving food to others, cleaning utensils and adhering to responsibilities build humility and respect for work and for others. These also teach us many small things about science, commerce and arts in unforeseen ways.
Our civics and other educational books are sometimes difficult to understand. Textbooks convey messages like we “as citizens are responsible for the protection of India’s unity, integrity, and sovereignty”, which as a concept appears difficult to contribute to for a student. These books should definitely incorporate our fundamental responsibilities, such as helping and respecting our elders, sharing our food and space with friends, guests and animals, ensuring that our house and school are clean, being contented (संतोष धन), and having gratitude. The school should be a place to practise these values.
Gratitude, contentment, and giving are important ingredients in attaining happiness and building an ethical society. For instance, if I want to be a manager of a large organisation, I should be able to plan ahead. Similarly, if I want to give happiness to others, I should be contented from within. Only a fragrant flower can give out a delightful scent.
Rituals, such as expressing gratitude to God before meals or showing respect to one’s teachers, friends, and parents every day are important. Rituals like sharing food with dogs and crows are also important. A puja (prayer ceremony) reminds us every day that nature and society are bigger than us and we should bow before them. They remind us that we should be contented with what we have and be humble.
As families increasingly become nuclear and parents spend more and more time on their work, it is important to nurture habits in school, such as:
(a) Building imagination, courage and wisdom by exposure to stories, poetry, festivals and art, with discussions and expressions.
(b) Doing all types of work and sharing responsibilities to strengthen determination and world experiences to respect ourselves and others.
(c) Practising rituals to build positive attitudes leading to happiness.
On this solid foundation, schools should also impart knowledge of science and civic systems for the society. A school should evangelise these practices amongst parents and the community and be like a bank for this wisdom from where it (ज्ञानगंगा) originates.
A school is not just a building, but a place that houses the souls of teachers, who are the most important influence in shaping children and the society. Teachers should, therefore, maintain high self-esteem and ensure that they are greatly respected.
त्वमेव माता च पिता त्वमेव, त्वमेव बन्धुश्च सखा त्वमेव।
त्वमेव विद्या द्रविणं त्वमेव, त्वमेव सर्वं मम देव देव॥
This verse expresses the feeling of considering the guru or teacher as equal to mothers, fathers, siblings, friends and above all, knowledge. It expresses the fact that teachers play an important role in all aspects of life and without them everything is incomplete. Teachers are worshipped like gods who are the source of knowledge and guidance.
Schools and teachers are our temples, developing active citizens. Thus, I am happy to learn that Desh Apnayen Sahayog Foundation has been working extensively towards creating consciousness in schools and among teachers to help students develop problem-solving and civic engagement skills, along with a deeper understanding of democratic concepts. It aims to create ACTiZENS who are aware about their responsibilities and diligently pursue them to perfection. ACTiZENS who are sensitive about their personal rights and more importantly, the rights of the community they live in, who have the courage and wisdom to speak fearlessly about what is right and show their perseverance while rectifying wrongs.
I would like to end my article with some thought-provoking words by Rabindranath Tagore and Reinhold Niebuhr.
“Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high;
Where knowledge is free;
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls;
Where words come out from the depth of truth;
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection;
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sand of dead habit;
Where the mind is led forward by thee into ever-widening thought and action —
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.”
– Rabindranath Tagore, visionary philosopher and educator
“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
– Reinhold Niebuhr, American theologian
Mr. Sanjay Dalmia is the founder and CEO of Open Links Foundation, which strives to improve the quality of education in government schools. Prior to setting up the foundation, he has worked as a CEO of a financial technology company.