For over 7 years now, I have been associated with the teaching profession. As such, very often I get the opportunity to go through the contents of the high school textbooks that are being studied by the students today here in Nagaland. And every time I go through these textbooks, I am always prickled by the realization that these texts usually do not contain some of the most fundamental and basic information about our own land, people, history, culture, polity, myths and legends.
It is said that example is better than precept. Therefore, to make my point, let me straightaway cite some instances.
Our school textbooks contain much information about great revolutions like the French Revolution, the American Revolution, the Indian Revolution of 1857 etc and there is certainly nothing wrong in apprising our children with these history changing events. But what about our own Naga revolution which took place here in our own beloved land in the post-Indian Independence era? Don’t you think our children also should be well-versed about these events which had had tremendous impacts upon our land and our people? What is the harm in letting our children study about these in their schools? Or what is the actual logic behind keeping these fundamental and basic informations a sealed secret from our children?
I am concerned about these things because I believe that schools are the best platform to apprise the upcoming generations on any issue and matter. As was rightly said by one social campaigner, schools are always the best platform to create awareness on any issue.
To cite more instances here, through the school textbooks, the children come to know that Nagaland was created as the 16th state of the Indian union in 1963 and that one P. Shilu Ao became the first chief minister of Nagaland. However, these same textbooks do not contain any information about the extra-ordinary circumstances under which the state of Nagaland was born in 1963. Thus a very one-sided story is presented to the youngsters which I feel is not just and can even have very undesirable consequences.
Our school textbooks also contain enough information about great personalities like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Abraham Lincoln, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther, Napoleon Bonaparte, Mother Teresa, Gautama Buddha etc and etc. And I certainly have nothing against our youngsters studying about these great men in their schools. But what about our very own prominent Naga personalities who made sacrifices, commitments and undeniable contributions for the betterment and future of all Nagas? What about names like A.Z. Phizo, Theyiechüthie Sakhrie and some others too? These people were trendsetters and visionaries who had visions for their people and who dedicated and even sacrificed their lives for what they believed and envisioned for their people. Here, it is not a question of whether we conform to their thoughts, ideas and beliefs. For instance, we all do not conform to the thoughts, ideas and beliefs of persons like Karl Marx or Lenin. But we still study about them and learn great lessons from their lives, thoughts, ideas and stories. Therefore, we also need to pay the due respects to our own local personalities who had genuine commitment, sincerity and vision for our people and who worked in their own limited capacities for the betterment and future of all Nagas. And what better way to show our respects and acknowledgments than to include their names and stories in our children’s texts. But sadly enough, our school texts seem to be totally allergic to these names and stories. And yes, there would also be certainly no harm if inspirational stories like those of Dr. Talimeren Ao (the first Naga Olympian) are also narrated by our school textbooks.
About two years back I was really delighted when I came across a chapter on Kenneth Kerhüo in a social science textbook. Kenneth Kerhüo was a man who hailed from L. Khel, Kohima Village and who worked tirelessly for peace in Nagaland in the 1950s and the 1960s when the whole of the Naga Hills was literally being crushed under the military boots of the mighty Indian army. At a time as this, Kenneth stepped forward boldly to restore peace in his troubled torn land. In fact, it can be said that Kenneth was a man who dedicated and sacrificed his whole life towards the maintenance of peace in a troubled torn land. So these are our real heroes and we need to let our children study and know about them in their schools. And I salute the person or persons who included the story of Kenneth Kerhüo in the said SS textbook. It was really a job well done.
Out high school Social Science texts are also full of the names and accounts of persons like Lord Mountbatten, Lord Wellesley, Lord Warren Hasting, Lord William Bentinck, Lord Dalhousie, Lord Curzon, Robert Clive etc and etc who all played pivotal roles in establishing and maintaining the Colonial British empire here in the Indian sub-continent. But we have no records whatsoever to suggest that these Lords and rulers ever set their foot upon the soils of the Nagas. But we still study about them and I certainly feel there is nothing wrong even if our children are studying about them in their schools. But what about the names, accounts and stories of administrators like T. Mitchell, Mc Cabe, Captain A.E. Woods, J.E. Websters, H.C. Bernes, Dr. J.H.Hutton, J.P. Mills, C.R. Pawsey etc. For your information, these were all British personnel who once worked here in Kohima as Deputy Commissioners of the Naga Hills. They worked hand in hand and shoulder to shoulder with many of the Nagas and they had first-hand experiences and accounts with our grandfathers and great grandfathers. Even if the accounts and records which we have today of them are few and limited, whatever information we have of them should be preserved and passed down to the upcoming generations. And here again, what better way do we have to do this than the inclusion of these stories and accounts in our school textbooks?
So when we let our upcoming generations study about the lives and stories of other persons and keep them totally aloof from the lives and stories of our own people who made sacrifices and visions for us and of people who had had contact with us in one form or the other, isn’t this a bit like introducing somebody else’s father to a kid instead of introducing his own father to him?
Out school texts also say that Nagaland is only 16,579 sq. km in terms of total land area. But here also, we need to make it clear that when the state of Nagaland was created in 1963, it was made to encompass only this 16,579 sq. km but that in actuality the real Nagaland (including those lands that are presently under Myanmar) measures up to more than five times of 16,579 sq. km.
Our children’s textbooks also tell about famous battles like the battle of Waterloo, the battle of Plessey, the battle of Buxar, the battle of Tarain etc and etc. And when we ask our children to write about these battles, most of them can write at least a few pages about these. But what about the battles which our forefathers fought against the various foreign invaders of our lands down the centuries? Are not these battles more relevant to us?
Through their texts, the school-going youngsters will also come to know about people like Christopher Columbus, Ferdinand Magellan and Vasco Da Dama who defied the odds and sailed across the seas to discover new lands and new people and made a name for themselves in the field of geographical explorations. But why is it that our school texts do not contain the names and stories of people like Rivenburg, Supplee, Tanquist etc who discarded comforts at home and sailed across the seas and brought to us the gospel of Jesus Christ? Indeed it is really sad to know that our children are not made to study about these people who sacrificed theirs everything and came to our lands to make us children of the true Living God. We call ourselves a Christian people, a Christian state and what not….. but I guess we are yet to really include God in our schools.
So the point is if our children can study about Gautama Buddha, Mahavira and Prophet Mohammad through their school texts, why can’t they also study about these American missionaries who sacrificed theirs everything and came and worked here in Nagaland spreading message to us about the true Living God?
Our school texts also capture the imagination of our children in the schools with stories of Romeo-Juliet; Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves; The Merchant of Venice; Pip, Estella and Miss Havesham; Betty, Amelie and George; Ram, Laxman and Sita; etc and etc. All these are great and fantastic stories and there are many lessons which can be learnt from them and I have nothing against the inclusion of these in our school texts. Some of these stories are real, some are fictional and some are mythical. But these are all stories which have come to us from outside our land. And here, I would like to say that we, Nagas, certainly do not lack in stories - be it real or legends and myths. So along with the stories which have come from outside our lands, we can also include our own stories through which our children can learn more about our past, culture, history, habits etc. Pertaining to this, I can mention many legends and folklores of the Angamis which can be included. These include stories like those of Morüsa-Mehouviü, Tso-o Terhuopudiü, Sopfünuo etc. And I am sure all the other Naga tribes also have their own shares of stories, legends and myths and therefore, what is the harm in compiling these stories in our school texts for our children.
At the beginning of this year (2012), while going through a high school English textbook, I was pleasantly surprised to find the story of Morüsa and Mehouviü included in it. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the story and it gave me great satisfaction to know that a legendary Angami story is found beautifully narrated in an English textbook.
There was a time when our school textbooks used to be prepared and framed by outsiders outside Nagaland and imported from outside our state. During these times, I believe we could not have had much say regarding the contents of the books. However now, if I am not wrong, all the textbooks that are used in our schools are being prepared and framed here in Nagaland itself by our own kith and kins. Therefore, an ample opportunity offers itself to us to include almost everything that we feel our children should know right from their childhood and teen years.
This is really an issue for me and I strongly feel about this because children are very receptive by nature. From my own experience, I can tell that we generally never forget the things which we learn while we were still kids. I guess this is one big reason why we send or should send our children to schools and Sunday schools. The stories and the lessons that a kid learns at schools and Sunday schools are never forgotten and these lessons really come handy in later lives when the kid is grown up. Yes, from my own experience, I can guarantee this.
Moreover, I have also observed that except for the General Knowledge textbooks, all the other texts generally do not contain much appropriate pictures. This is also a concern because the technology which we have today has reached such a stage that we can produce good attractive quality pictures at minimum costs. Therefore, I feel that all the textbooks meant for schools should contain as much attractive and relevant pictures as possible. I feel so because, as is rightly said, ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’ and also that ‘actions speak louder than words’. I am already grown up and I love reading. But there are also times when I do not feel like reading and want to see only photos and pictures. And I learn as much from photos and pictures as I do from reading. So, if this is the case with me, what about children and teenagers. After all, there can be no better way to explain the physical appearance of Mahatma Gandhi to the kids than showing them a picture of the great man himself.
Therefore, as long as we do not include those accounts and those episodes which have shaped our pasts and the names and stories of those persons who have made a difference in our lives, the knowledge and the education which our youngsters receive in our schools will continue to be one-sided, lopsided and handicapped…….
