In Bengal Vidyasagar is a household name. The mellowed upper caste Marxists have discovered a new icon in him, maybe to compensate for the discredited icons they once worshipped. In a Hindu atmosphere dominated by innumerable icons, it is natural to invest fallible humans with godlike qualities and perfection. Vidyasagar fortunately belonged to the highest class of Brahmins which made such deification easier. Had he been a Sudra, he would by this time be nearly forgotten as has been the lot of most of his Bengali Sudra contemporaries such as Mahendralal Sircar or Lalbehari Dey. Immediately following his death so many myths came to grow around his figure. One such story which my mother narrated to me was how he swam across the turbulent Damodar to reach his anxious mother. It turned out to be a figment of imagination but other myths, thank to the intellectuals, persist. One such myth is that Vidyasagar worked tirelessly to take education to the masses who are mostly Sudras. The fact is that he stubbornly opposed mass education against the colonial government’s avowed intention. It may be recalled that most of the Brahmin intellectuals stood against Sudra education as it posed a threat to caste hierarchy so central to the Hindu way of life .
Though it may sound strange, mass education was given a trial in India prior to Britain. Protestants put a premium on mass education and such an initiative was reluctantly undertaken by the Company’s government under pressure from the evangelists and utilitarians. Initially they believed in the filtration theory but it did not take them much time to realise the utter futility of this project. The upper castes had a monopoly on education and their hegemony rested on it. They hoped to reap the benefit of an English education by serving the Empire and it was none of their intention to take it to the masses. All Behari De observed with a caustic humour that it was hermetically sealed. The Government report known as Wood’s Despatch(1854) was a corrective. It sought earnestly to democratize education. Sir Charles Wood proposed that as the upper section of society was relatively better off, it should bear a considerable portion of their education so that the fund might be devoted to spread ‘ useful and practical knowledge SUITED TO EVERY STATION OF LIFE ,TO THE GREAT MASS OF THE PEOPLE ‘ Para 4 of the Despatch stresses on channeling the energy of the students for regenerating a backward economy. In other words he was all for investing in human capital for economic growth. In this he was much ahead of his time. It was a modest proposal which would have been welcomed by any true patriot who would think beyond his own caste and class. Not Vidyasagar whose heart apparently bled for the poor.
As a true Brahmin he felt uncomfortable with the recommendation. He had mastered the sophistry of the Hindu jurists and philosophers of the Nyaya school. He wrote ” It was too much to expect that they ( the poor sudras) would educate their children merely for the sake of knowledge, when even the higher classes (read castes) do not yet properly appreciate the benefits of education”. It is to be noted that while Sir Wood was insisting on capacity building that would enable the poor to enter in the limited job market Vidyasagar was holding up the ideal of what the Victorian elitist writer Mathew Arnold called ‘ disintegrated interestedness ‘ an equivalent of ‘ art for art’s sake. The best thing the government could do is to CONFINE ITSELF TO THE EDUCATION OF HIGHER CLASSES ON A COMPREHENSIVE SCALE. He then elaborates on it in his accustomed Brahminical style “By educating a boy in a proper style the government does more the real education of the people than by teaching a hundred children reading writing and a little Arithmetic”. Yet these humble skills would have empowered sudras to resist the oppression of upper caste landlords and cunning moneylenders. Vidyasagar still believed in the filtration theory not only for his caste interest but class interest as well.
Vidyasagar, besides being an educationist, was an entrepreneur, a businessman so to speak. He had a monopoly in textbooks recommended by a Committee of which he was a member. He had his own press and he himself was the author of these ‘incomparable’ texts. In Bengal Under the Lieutenant Governors we come across a disturbing fact : his textbooks were exorbitantly priced. It was certainly not conducive to mass education! In other words, by using his proximity to government officials and his suave manipulative skill he was making a big profit. Another myth is that as an additional Inspector of Schools he founded many schools at his own expense. He indeed founded a few such schools ignoring the government guidelines many of which had to be closed for the dearth of pupils. Vidyasagar was fully reimbursed for the expenses he had incurred. Perhaps he made a margin out of it! As a principal of Sanskrit College he threw open the doors to the Kayasthas who were nominally sudras but actually belonged to the upper castes. But when a Suvarna Banik boy sought admission, he declined. Amalesh Tripathy, the eminent historian, writes “Vidyasagar was not very willing to admit the Hindus of lower castes, whose presence would not only shock the orthodox pundits and injure the popularity and respectability of the College but whose cultural lag might create problem of maladjustment”. One may not fail to note the similarity of argument and wording between Viyasagar and the White supremacists who wanted to keep schools and colleges free from black intrusions. Willam Carey who was a cobbler before he became a missionary set up more schools and successfully run them for the poorest and the most marginalized sections of society in Vidyasagar’s own district. Yet our ‘anti – imperialist’, post colonial Lefties will discover in Vidyasagar an embodiment of a humanist prophet and relegate Carey to oblivion .Caste indeed runs deeper thanISWAR CHANDRA VIDYASAGAR WAS AGAINST MASS EDUCATION FOR SUDRAS
In Bengal Vidyasagar is a household name .The mellowed upper caste Marxists have discovered a new icon in him ,maybe to compensate for the discredited icons they once worshipped .In a Hindu atmosphere dominated by innumerable icons ,it is natural to invest fallible humans with godlike qualities and perfection .Vidyasagar fortunately belonged to the highest class of Brahmins which made such deification easier .Had he been a Sudra, he would by this time be nearly forgotten as has been the lot of most of his Bengali Sudra contemporaries such as Mahendralal Sircar or Lalbehari Dey .Immediately following his death so many myths came to grow around his figure .One such story which my mother narrated to me was how he swam across the turbulent Damodar to reach his anxious mother .It turned out to be a figment of imagination but other myths ,thank to the intellectuals, persist .One such myth is that Vidyasagar worked tirelessly to take education to the masses who are mostly Sudras .The fact is that he stubbornly opposed mass education against the colonial government’s avowed intention. It may be recalled that most of the Brahmin intellectuals stood against Sudra education as it posed a threat to caste hierarchy so central to the Hindu way of life .
Though it may sound strange ,mass education was given a trial in India prior to Britain .Protestants put a premium on mass education and such an initiative was reluctantly undertaken by the Company’s government under pressure from the evangelists and utilitarians. Initially they believed in the filtration theory but it did not take them much time to realise the utter futility of this project .The upper castes had a monopoly on education and their hegemony rested on it .They hoped to reap the benefit of an English education by serving the Empire and it was none of their intention to take it to the masses .All Behari De observed with a caustic humour that it was hermetically sealed .The Government report known as Wood’s Despatch(1854) was a corrective .It sought earnestly to democratize education .Sir Charles Wood proposed that as the upper section of society was relatively better off ,it should bear a considerable portion of their education so that the fund might be devoted to spread ‘ useful and practical knowledge SUITED TO EVERY STATION OF LIFE ,TO THE GREAT MASS OF THE PEOPLE ‘ Para 4 of the Despatch stresses on channeling the energy of the students for regenerating a backward economy. In other words he was all for investing in human capital for economic growth .In this he was much ahead of his time .It was a modest proposal which would have been welcomed by any true patriot who would think beyond his own caste and class .Not Vidyasagar whose heart apparently bled for the poor .
As a true Brahmin he felt uncomfortable with the recommendation. He had mastered the sophistry of the Hindu jurists and philosophers of the Nyaya school .He wrote ” It was too much to expect that they ( the poor sudras) would educate their children merely for the sake of knowledge ,when even the higher classes ( read castes) do not yet properly appreciate the benefits of education ” .It is to be noted that while Sir Wood was insisting on capacity building that would enable the poor to enter in the limited job market Vidyasagar was holding up the ideal of what the Victorian elitist writer Mathew Arnold called ‘ disintegrated interestedness ‘ an equivalent of ‘ art for art’s sake .The best thing the government could do is to CONFINE ITSELF TO THE EDUCATION OF HIGHER CLASSES ON A COMPREHENSIVE SCALE .He then elaborates on it in his accustomed Brahminical style ” By educating a boy in a proper style the government does more the real education of the people than by teaching a hundred children reading writing and a little Arithmetic ‘ .Yet these humble skills would have empowered sudras to resist the oppression of upper caste landlords and cunning moneylenders .Vidyasagar still believed in the filtration theory not only for his caste interest but class interest as well .
Vidyasagar ,besides being an educationist, was an entrepreneur, a businessman so to speak .He had a monopoly in textbooks recommended by a Committee of which he was a member . He had his own press and he himself was the author of these ‘ incomparable ‘ texts .In Bengal Under the Lieutenant Governors we come across a disturbing fact : his textbooks were exorbitantly priced .It was certainly not conducive to mass education! In other words, by using his proximity to government officials and his suave manipulative skill he was making a big profit .Another myth is that as an additional Inspector of Schools he founded many schools at his own expense .He indeed founded a few such schools ignoring the government guidelines many of which had to be closed for the dearth of pupils. Vidyasagar was fully reimbursed for the expenses he had incurred. Perhaps he made a margin out of it ! As a principal of Sanskrit College he threw open the doors to the Kayasthas who were nominally sudras but actually belonged to the upper castes .But when a Suvarna Banik boy sought admission ,he declined .Amalesh Tripathy ,the eminent historian ,writes ” Vidyasagar was not very willing to admit the Hindus of lower castes ,whose presence would not only shock the orthodox pundits and injure the popularity and respectability of the College but whose cultural lag might create problem of maladjustment ” .One may not fail to note the similarity of argument and wording between Viyasagar and the White supremacists who wanted to keep schools and colleges free from black intrusions. Willam Carey who was a cobbler before he became a missionary set up more schools and successfully run them for the poorest and the most marginalized sections of society in Vidyasagar’s own district .Yet our ‘ anti – imperialist ‘ ,post colonial Lefties will discover in Vidyasagar an embodiment of a humanist prophet and relegate Carey to oblivion. Caste indeed runs deeper than ideology! ideology!
(Author, Bhaskar Sur, Educationist & social activist)
*दलित टाइम्स उन करोड़ो लोगो की आवाज़ है जिन्हें हाशिए पर रखा गया है। *
महिला, दलित और आदिवासियों के मुद्दों पर केंद्रित पत्रकारिता करने और मुख्यधारा की मीडिया में इनका प्रतिनिधित्व करने के लिए हमें आर्थिक सहयोग करें।
