TEACHING SECULARISM IN INDIAN CLASSROOMS
Ideas for Peace educators
By Ms.Delia Maria Knaeble Ph.D., Pune, India
If we are going to bring about peace in the world , we have to begin with the children
Mahatma Gandhi
Why do we need peace education?
During the last decade, our country has seen a revival of communalism and communal violence. The carnage in the state of Gujarat in 2002, where women and children were brutalized, publicly shocked everyone. Communal feelings of hatred and intolerance has been building over the years. Among others, critics blame school text-books, some of which have a distorted version of history with one community pitted against another, some religious practices pitted against others, and caste discrimination interwoven into the stories and narrations in the textbooks.
What kind of India shall we give to our children? This is a question that every parent and right thinking person of India is asking today in the midst of this violence and communal hatred. How do we save our children – the decision makers of the future India, from imbibing prejudice or hatred based on communities or religions?
Whenever peace studies have been done in the classroom, studies have shown that children respond positively. The time has come in the new millennium to introduce peace education in a conscious manner in schools and colleges in India. With the introduction of peace education, children will not only show better academic performance, as they learn to do creative problem solving, but they will also cease to give public consent to war and violence.
We teachers will have to take up the role and responsibility of becoming peace educators. We all know what it takes to be a good teacher. To be a peace educator is a further extension of that role. It takes peace loving persons to teach peace and to create peaceful classrooms. Firstly, you need to get an honest and genuine understanding of the meanings of peace , secularism and communal harmony. Next you must set an example of compassion,and love to your students. Finally, consciously train your mind, teaching methods and behaviour with the goal of peace. In this paper there are some simple tips that may help you in building a tolerant and prejudice-free society for yourself and your children.
Peaceful classrooms make a peaceful society, and peaceful societies make a peaceful world. Let us join hands to put peace education in the forefront of the battle for peace. Let us become peace eductors in order that we can make this world a happy and peaceful place for our children and our children’s children.
Understanding Indian Secularism
The essence of secularism rests on two basic principles:
1. Separation of religion from politics
2. Acceptance of religion as a strictly private affair of individuals having nothing to do with the state.
In the Indian context, separation of religion from the state constitutes the core of the philosophy of secularism. In a plural society like India with a multiplicity of religions, creeds and cultures, democracy cannot survive and flourish unless it is based on the principle of secularism.
But if Secularism refers to the absolute neutrality of the State in matters of religion and belief, India does not practice secularism in the strict sense of the term. Rather, what India practices is Sarva Dharma Samabhava, that is, treating all religious groups on an equal basis. This is Indian official brand of secularism. Secularism in India is generally projected as ‘tolerance’ of all religions with special emphasis on the protection of minorities and preservation of communal harmony. Tolerance is an important secular value. It implies a forbearance or a willingness and capacity to tolerate or withstand all kinds of physical, social, economical, cultural, political, religious and other differences in language, thoughts, beliefs, habits, food and dress. It enables people of different faiths to adjust their relationships with each other and to work together for a common purpose, through a spirit of accommodation, dialogue and interaction.
Thus, in India we have different versions of secularism – secularism as communal harmony, secularism as respect for all religions, secularism as a project for giving different groups their own space to collectively define their identities . These versions of secularism are not averse to using state power to advance religious ends, provided some kind of parity between different communities is maintained. Unfortunately every government that has come to power in Indian history established their secular credentials by giving one concession to a particular religious community and then offsetting it by granting concessions to other communities. In this process of competitive bidding all communities are left feeling either insecure or that they had lost.
The only sustainable conception of secularism is that which is tied to a project of building a society of free and equal individuals. Further, we cannot achieve secularism only by conforming to the constitutional or legal rights. Secular values need to be percolated at the individual and community levels. Our lifestyles, values, attitudes, interpersonal relations, all need to be secular. Educating the general public and the youth to acquire secular spirit needs to be taken on a priroity basis.
India’s Secular History
In India, secular tradition is deep rooted in History. Indian culture is a composite one which is based on the blending of various spiritual traditions and social movements. The Sufi and bhakti movements in medieval India integrated people of various communities together. Leading lights of the movement were Khawaja Moinuddin Chisti, Baba Karid, Kabir, Guru Nanak, Tukaram and Mira Bai.
It is obvious that India has achieved her sense of tolerance and accommodation of all communities and religions over centuries. For example the edicts of Ashoka underlining the essential doctrince of controlling one’s speech so as not to extol one’s own sect or disparage anothers. Seventeen centures later, Akbar reinforced this ideal. That India is a land of harmony where everyone could live his own life was well known in ancient times. So when the Zoroastrians of Persia felt that their religion was in danger from the invading Muslims, where else could they go but to India? And when 12 centuries later, the Tibetans felt similarly threatened in their homeland, they also chose India.
The secular spirit was further strengthened and enriched through our freedom movement. The principle advocates of secular ideology in Indian history were Mahatma Gandhi and Jawahar Lal Nehru. Gandhi's secularism was based on a commitment to the brotherhood of religious communities based on their mutual respect and pursuit of truth. Nehru's secularism was based on a commitment to scientific humanism tinged with a progressive view of historical change. It is true that the word 'secular' did not occur in the constitution. But by the forty-second constitution ammendment act of 1976, the preamble was ammended to read: "India is a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic".
Why teach Secularism
Our educational planners and policy makers need to ponder over an urgent need to redesign the curriculum in the schools and colleges. They should necessarily consider introducing Secularism in the syllabus directly in subjects like civics or history, or indirectly by integrating it with the teaching of other subjects. The objectives of teaching secularism in Indian classrooms would be:
To promote a healthy political culture in the country
To overcome the forces that promote communal hatred in the country
To change in all communities, the unhealthy and incorrect perceptions that may be held about other communities
To create a roadmap for reviving the ideals of secularism among youth in schools and colleges
To inculcate values of peace and communal harmony and skills for conflict resolution
To train leaders for propagating peace and community development
Those text books which advocate biased history have to be changed and secular ideas will have to be inculcated in the minds of our young students. All religions should get their weightage in the text books. No singular community’s culture, traditions and festivals should be projected. The sacrifices and hardships made by other religious communities and their contribution towards freedom of the country also need to be mentioned. Any effort to teach distorted versions of history should be kept at bay.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, the modern day guru on ‘the art of living’ writing recently wrote: One thing that is absolutely essential to avoid religious terrorism is a multi-cultural, multi-religious education for children. It is because a child grows up thinking that other religions or cultures are bad, that s/he is ready to give up his/her life for that cause; but when a child grows up knowing a little bit about all other religions, cultures and customs, then there is a sense of belonging with everybody. When every child in the world learns a little bit about every other religion, the child will not have inhibitions or hatred towards other religions or cultures.
Teaching secularism includes the need to provide moral education for children to develop character, an appreciation for common moral norms and to encouarge moral growth. For this, one can take the help of expertise and experiences already available in the community. Similarly, school and college students need to be taught the importance of rational thinking, awareness of cause and effect relation and getting rid of blind faith. They should be taught a humanism that is free from bigotry and is based on science and scientific outlook. Indian youth respect leaders who practice values like compassion, self-denial, simple living, non-violence and courage of conviction, respect for all living beings and personal good example. Educational institutions can make efforts to involve such people in all programmes. Networking with reputed individuals and organisations having such a record is a must.
In teaching secularism, we could concentrate either on building alternative educational institutions or supporting those existing institutions having secular and humanist moorings. There are many in the country. Through them, new value system can be inculcated. Such an education requires new literature, new institutions, mobilisation of the resources and attracting progressive individuals to devote their time, energies with vision, openess and commitment to human ideals.
Role of the teacher in communal harmony
The teacher education programme should enable the teachers to set their own teaching goals in secularism for each class. Teachers of primary classes can concentrate on nurturing secularism by celebrating festivals of different religions along with their students and parents. Teachers of middle classes should foster awareness and knowledge of secularism through some activities and project works for communal harmony. Teachers of senior classes should explain to their students the importance of secularism in our lives and the life of the nation. The subject matter relating to secularism has to be incorporated and transacted through all the curricular areas of secondary and higher secondary classes
Further, teachers should be given proper training to handle any sensitive and vexing issues which have the potentiality to ferment communal tension. They can also be trained to organize some “peace brigades” in their mohalla or village so as to preempt an emerging communal tension. Young students can be motivated by their teachers to play the role of peace managers rather than peace breakers.
Teachers can conduct activities or games in the classroom in which children could get a real sense of pain and violence; and to understand the meaning of tolerance in the real sense. Intolerance arises from insecurity and the insecurity of the masses is manipulated by politicians and vested interests, to unleash violence in the society. To make our children feel secure, we must make them recognize that just because somebody’s name or faith, facial features or colour of skin is different, does not mean that they are conspiring against us or hate us.
Ideas, tips and plans for action
If you are a teacher, you have a big responsibility. If you have any general prejudice or hateful feeling against the people of a particular community – which may or may not reflect in your teaching, then you have no right to remain a teacher. Never make fun or pass irresponsible remarks on any community in the classroom or at home. Never try to curb or ignore your pupil’s curiosity and inquisitiveness about other cultures. Never give wrong or unsatisfactory answers if they have any questions about other communities. If you don’t know the answer then admit it frankly, and feel free to ask other adults, or read up.
As teachers you can make use of teaching aids like audio-visual aids on the composite culture of India based on secular values. Students from different religious groups could be motivated to enact street plays on the theme of communal harmony. Whenever you make a distinction between your culture and that of other communities, tell children that all people and communities are equal in stature. Avoid using stereotypes, prejudices and opinions based on some few bad elements in a community.
Children should be told that if there are instances of invasions and injustice in history, there are also thousands of examples of how people tried to bridge the gap between communities by spreading the message of peace and human equality. India has had hundreds of sages, saints, poets and wise men who produced very simple but impressive literature that talked of human equality, tolerance and love, besides criticizing war, immorality and religious dogmatism. The literature and poetry is as relevant today as it may have been in their times, and needs to be introduced to our younger generation.
You may encourage children to visit others friends places who are celebrating their festivals and wish them. You may try to celebrate the other’s festivals inside your home by following some of their practices. If you are a Muslim or a Christian you may light diyas during Diwalli, if a Hindu make kheer on Id day and on Xmas day decorate a Xmas tree. Do these activities in a natural and celebratory spirit involving the children. Tell them that they can participate in festivals and cultural occasions of other religious communities and still follow one’s own religion.
You can ask children to write peace essays on such themes as, ‘India of my Dreams’, ‘Social Changes I dream of’, ‘How to build unity among religions’, ‘What is common among different religious’, ‘Festivals I love’, etc. Expose them to books, films, music and television programmes which portray a variety of cultures and values. You can ask children to collect references to peace and brotherhood in their religious scriptures, to brainstorm on what they consider a peaceful society. Let children brainstorm on what they consider to be a peaceful school. On festival and annual days, use songs and dramas based on themes of peace and brotherhood between families and communities. Give peace themes to the drawing class. Ask children to collect peace stories of communal harmony from newspapers, magazines, etc. Teach children how to research peace issues on the net, and in libraries so that they can do their own research. Show films depicting religious tolerance like Amar Akbar Anthony, Kranthivir, Mustafa, Message, Bombay.
When arranging school trips, take children to the World Peace Centre or the Gandhi Museum Pune and arrange a function there. Take an adventure to neighbourhoods of your town inorder to appreciate diverse cultures. Take children to the houses or localities of people belonging to other communities and cultures, and also to prayer centres of all religious – mosques, temples, gurudwaras, churches, viharas. Ask each child to write a letter to a corporator of a different community asking for communal harmony. Celebrate international and national peace days. Ask children to look consciously for “peace moments” in any event in their day that demonstrated the power of peace.
We must realize that communal prejudices creep into a child’s mind at an early age. School teachers, friends, family elders and media – all these can be potential channels of a child’s conditioning. Never discourage children to have friends from a different community. When talking in the presence of children, make sure that the conversation does not include your value judgments about any community or caste. Explore your prejudices, find out what’s behind them, how they started and how they influence your thoughts and actions. Peace begins at home: monitor, nuture, support and involve your children and family in keeping peace.
Whenever there is news of a tragedy or riot, express your shock and grief – whatever be the religion or community of the affected people. Tell your children about it, and that so many human beings have been affected, not Hindus or Muslims. Give them a sense of the pain and destruction that has occurred to so many humans like them, and show them how futile all this violence is.
Lastly, find your own inner peace, set aside a few minutes or more of each day for quiet, peaceful time. Collect and buy training manuals for education on how to teach peace and non-violence in the classroom. Logon to peace sites on the internet for more ideas on how to teach peace; encourage children to do the same.
Evaluating your own peacefulness as a teacher
Here are some questions peace educators and teachers can reflect upon:
Evaluating my peace philosophy
Is my inner peace increasing with age and experience
Do I tolerate diversity and difference
Do apply human rights values to practical situations
Am I committed to social justice
Do I study contemporary social issues
Do I practice democratic, consensus-building behaviour
Do I set an example of simple and ethical living
How are moral values inculcated in the mind of a child?
What is my role in this process?
What can I do that I might not yet have done, to set the best example for children?
Evaluating my teaching
Have I used peace education approach in my teaching?
Do I give a peace perspective to the subject matter?
Has it made a positive change in my students?
Which peace values and behavious still need attention in my teaching?
Have I exhibited peacefulness in my own attitude and behaviour in the classroom?
Have my students developed peace values from my teaching?
Does my behaviour have positive effect on my student’ s behaviour?
Evaluating my school
Are peace values emphasised in my school?
Are students happy and cheerful in my school?
Which areas of peace education can be developed in future?
Does my school participate in community development activities?
Has my school participated in any communal harmony activities?
Here are some more thoughts to evaluate your religious beliefs:
Do you believe that…
Your religion is the only true religion?
Or that the truth is written in all holy books?
That interreligous marriages should be encouraged/discouraged?
Children should be taught prayers of all religions?
There is more social justice and peace in an interreligious society?
Are your personal beliefs and feelings different from your public position?
Who affects your religious attitudes and beliefs?Would you follow any of them if they incited you to violence?
What do you know about other religions?
Have you read the scriptures of other religions?
Are people of other religions friends or enemies? Do you have close friends of other religions?
Is the religious diversity of India problematic for communal harmony and peace?
Have you personally witnessed actions of communal violence?
What do you think about other communities?
Do you have any fears about members of other communities?
Do you believe that religion in general is a uniting or a dividing factor in society?
Do do prefer religious or secular values for communal peace?
Would you consider violence as a means to solve conflicts including religious conflicts?
Does your family celebrate festivals of other communities?
How do you think that such celebrations have kept communities united?
Do you see any end to communal conflict?
Have you contributed to communal harmony in your personal or public life?
What citizens initiatives have been taken in your locality for communal harmony in general?
Towards Peaceful classrooms and A Peaceful world
I shall conclude with the exhortations of the Canada Culture of Peace Programme 2005 to all its peace educators: All members of the culture of peace movement have to be leaders in their own right drawing on their own potential and inner strengths, galvanising, inspiring and energizing the peace movement. Everyone is a peace leader and peace educator. Everyday we must take ownership of ourselves and our relationships, we can do anything we set our minds and hearts to; we do no harm, expect and demand no harm be done to us or others, no one is better than another, we are critical thinkers, finding our own truths, education is our best investment and information our most important resource. Building a healthy culture is about building healthy relationships – we can do that. As we take ownership for peace, others will follow – because it will be uplifting and empowering, it will be infectious, and lead to sudden massive cultural change.
REFERENCES AND RESOURCES
Amulya Ganguli, “A Celebration of Faith”, Times of India , Pune, Tuesday, January 17, 2006.
A S Balasooriya, Learning the Way of Peace, A Teachers Guide to Peace Education, UNESCO, New Delhi 2001.
Canada Culture of Peace Programme, www.cultureofpeace.ca.
Delia Maria Ph.D., Trainers Manual for teaching Peace and Communal Harmony in the classroom, for private circulation, Pune, November 2003.
Educate These Children, Book Four: Peace Education Character Education, A Teacher’s Guide for Pre-primary Schools, New Era Development Institute, Panchgani, December 2001.
Elaine Ann Charles Ph.D., Value Education A Manual for Teachers, St. Xavier’s Institute of Education, Mumbai, 1999, pp 211-232..
Felix Koikara SDB, Live your Values, Teachers Guide, Don Bosco Youth Animation Centre, Madras, 1990.
National Curriculum Framework for School Education, A Discussion Document, NCERT, New Delhi, 2000.
P K Muttagi, “Reviving the Humanist Movement”, The Radical Humanist, December 2005, pp 20-24.
Peace Education Activities for Children, A Teachers Guide, New Era Development Institute, Panchgani, March 2002.
Peter Gonsalves, Exercises in Peace Education, Volumes I & II, Tej-Prasarini, Mumbai 2003.
Pratap Bhanu Mehta, “How to make India a truly secular nation”, Indian Express, 1 January 2006.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, “Globalise wisdom to achieve peace”, Maharashtra Herald, Pune, 19 January,2006.
Teaching Secularism, Human Rights and National Values, Vol II, National Council for Teacher Education, New Delhi, 1996, pp 7-17.
Yousuf Saeed, What kind of India shall we give to our children, Communicators’ Cooperative, New Delhi , 2002.
