Editor,
It is important to review the achievements of the first prime minister of India, Pandit Nehru on his 125th birth anniversary with historical objectivity, pragmatism and avoiding the bias of always unjustifiably glorifying him. Nehru as a politician had both strengths and weaknesses. Indian intellectuals are globally well known for their cult worship of major political figures of the nation. But they also need to be unbiased and objective in looking into history; and in trying to present facts only in the context of geo-political and historical truths, rather than nationalist jingoism. Although always portrayed as a great champion of the NonAligned Movement (NAM), Nehru has always been an ornamental peace pigeon.
There was no major opposition during his rule and he enjoyed unquestionable dedication and cult worship from all his political peers. It would have been a different story possibly if he would have faced the kind of opposition wrath his daughter, Ms Indira Gandhi handled later down the decades. Nehru looks excellent on a peace platform with the entire limelight focused on him seriously neglecting the contributions of all other members of his cabinet who equally had monumental roles in transforming India into a modern nation such as Patel, Kalam and several others. But whenever there had been a major geo-political crisis Nehru suffered from serious indecisiveness under pressure and lacked necessary political determination to handle delicate situations with statesmanship and diplomacy.
Had there been no iron willed Patel, India would have turned into a civil war state following partition; and Nehru would have never got the opportunity to engineer NAM and be eternally glorified. His wrong foreign policies with close neighbours have cost India as a nation. While he is glorified for his international role, he should also be made equally responsible for his erroneous foreign policies that severely jeopardized Indian interests. NAM undoubtedly glorified Nehru in his international role but did not help Indian causes as is evident by India’s global isolation during the IndoChina war. NAM has outlived its days and is no longer relevant in the current global order. The important question to ask is whether it is fair to glorify NAM and Nehru, when from an Indian perspective it did nothing for the nation other than having an obscure place in the pages of global history.
Yours etc.,
Saikat Kumar Basu
Lethbridge AB Canada
MBOSE: A cause for concern
Editor,
This letter has a bearing on students doing their MBOSE hence I feel the need to share my concerns. My son cleared his MBOSE in 2010 with a pass of best of five. He failed in Mathematics. Later that year he joined a school at Roorkee and by November his registration was completed. But he and another boy who had passed his MBOSE from Thadlaskein were de-registered on the basis that Health and Physical Education was not recognised as a core subject by the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) since Physical Education was not part of their syllabus. I took up the case with the Chairman, MBOSE. He directed me to the then Director of DHTE who then referred me to the Under Secretary, Education who again spoke to Mr Kharbhih and told him to look into the matter. Eventually the Council of Boards of School Education (COBSE) was contacted and they in turn said they couldn’t do a thing. I wrote to the Chairman, CISCE but to no avail and so my son lost one year due to no fault of his. But what concerns me is that the same fate could befall other children who may pass in five subjects inclusive of Health Education but since the Board has not changed the syllabus till date other students may experience the same hurdles as the two students above because even the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) does not accept Health Education as a main subject.
Yours etc.,
Name withheld on request