The biggest crisis regarding children’s education in India is not just poverty or lack of resources, but religious hypocrisy. Some self-proclaimed babas keep children away from school by calling education impure, unsuitable for women and anti-social. This trend is not only against the Constitution, but is hollowing out the roots of society. The article argues that until education is freed from hypocrisy, the dream of an empowered society will remain incomplete.
On one hand, in India, we claim to touch new heights in science, technology and space research, on the other hand, even today, such scenes are found in every corner of the country where children are deprived of education.
This irony becomes even more painful when the path of education is obstructed not only by poverty or lack of resources, but also by superstition and hypocrisy.
Hypocrisy is not just the miracles shown by a fake Baba, it is a social trap in which the thoughts, questions and dreams of children are trapped.
Such people whose aim is to establish their dominance in the society consider education to be the biggest threat. Because education teaches to question, gives discretion to think and makes a person self-reliant. This is the power that can close the shops of hypocrites.
Even today, in many villages, towns and backward areas of the country, there are so-called sadhus, saints and religious gurus who preach from the stage, “If you educate girls too much, they will not manage the house”, “A daughter’s education becomes an obstacle in her marriage”, “A highly educated girl is inauspicious.” Such statements are not just jokes, they give direction to the thinking of the society and prevent parents from sending their children to school.
Despite government efforts, education cannot spread until the mindset of the society changes. On one hand, the government is running schemes like nutritious food, scholarships and free books to bring children to school, while on the other hand, the self-proclaimed contractors of the society are looking at education with disdain.
Every voice opposing education is actually a symbol of the fear that haunts the hypocrites – that if a child gets educated, he will raise questions on issues like casteism, discrimination, discrimination in temples, the status of women, exploitation and injustice. This fear keeps them away from books.
Even today, it is said in many places that “If you educate your daughters too much, it will become difficult for them to get married.”
At some places, it is also said that “An educated girl becomes cultureless.” This thinking is not only a result of backwardness, but also of that hypocritical thinking which promotes ignorance in the name of religion and culture.
The point to be noted here is that those self-proclaimed religious leaders who say that education is useless are themselves highly educated.
Their children study in foreign universities, but they teach the children of the villages the lessons of ‘Gurukul culture’ where there is no place for logic.
This double standard is the biggest tragedy of this country.
The boundary line between faith and superstition gets blurred when some baba says “send children to satsang, not school” and the society follows him blindly. This is the moment when hypocrisy prevails over education.
An educated society is the foundation of a progressive nation. But when education itself is viewed with suspicion, the future of the country becomes dark. Considering schools inferior to places of worship, giving teachers a second place in society and giving priority to mantras instead of knowledge - all this is the result of the same mentality.
It is also worth noting that many times political power and religious hypocrisy come together. In the vote bank politics, so-called sadhus get a platform and they exploit the mentality of children by calling their education a delusion and a sin. Many times such preachers even get a government platform, security and facilities.
When children go to school, they don’t just learn math, science, or language. They also learn freedom, equality, reason, and rights. This is what makes hypocrites uncomfortable.
They don’t want any child to ask —
“If we are all children of God, then why are there castes?”
“Why are women not allowed to enter temples?”
“Why don’t the poor get good schools?”
Only these questions can shake the roots of hypocrisy, hence the first attack of such people is always on education.
The sad thing is that even the education department sometimes succumbs to these tendencies. Teaching religious rituals in schools, giving holidays in the name of Babas, or holding bhajan competitions have now become common.
In such a situation, a child who should be given the freedom to think is taught the lesson of imitation.
The condition of girls is even more pathetic. Silencing them in the name of ‘Kanyadaan’, keeping them confined in the house in the name of ‘purity’, and depriving them of education in the name of ‘culture’ - all this is the true picture of a society that shines from outside but is rotten from within.
We often say that an educated mother educates the entire family. But when society forces that mother out of school, generations grow up in darkness.
We have to understand that education is not an optional means, it is a fundamental right. The sparkle in the eyes of children increases when they have books in their hands, when they have the freedom to ask questions and when the teacher is their guide, not some Baba.
If we want a society that is rational, just and egalitarian, then we must connect children with education. For this, not just plans but a change in mindset is required.
We have to ask this direct question to the babas and hypocrites -
“If education is a sin, then why do you educate your children?”
“If it is unfair for girls to go to school, then why are the daughters of your house going to college?”
Asking questions is the first step in the fight against hypocrisy.
Teachers should not only teach the curriculum but also make children discerning. They should tell them the difference between faith and understanding. Schools should become centres where independent thoughts are respected and not just imitation is taught.
Governments should stop any kind of religious interference in the field of education. Constitutional citizens should not allow the rights of children to be violated in the name of religion. And above all, society should consider children’s education as a ‘duty’ and not a ‘religion’.
There can be no religion greater than the future of children.
His school is more important than any sermon.
More important than any miracle is his courage to ask the question.
Only books can break down the walls of hypocrisy. And on the first page of that book it should be written - “I can think, therefore I am free.”
Ultimately, it is our collective responsibility to raise our children in a society where they can live with conscience, think freely and shape their future above all kinds of hypocrisy.
Dr. Priyanka Saurabh
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