Brown Man’s Burden

This is interesting. I wonder, if the decision to keep similar curiculum which was geared towards educating British children is infact the choice of the current clients of these school system? And more interestingly, are there different bodies governing diffrent school systems (public, private and parochial)?

re: harish

harish thank you for your comments. you seem to have mis read what i meant when i criticised the the lean of my teachers. i am not arguing for the removal of english and the return to any indian language. i think write and communicate in english and i wouldn`t want it any other way.

what i am arguing is that we as indians or who ever recognise that we use the english language in our own way. we have to adopt a new approach to the way english is taught.

what we arre out through is a system that was designed by the english for the english. as you in your article say, your father used the radient reader. don`t you think there should be change.

what i argue is that indian writers should be given recognition in schools. we should question rather than blindly follow the likes of shakespear and kipling. they did a great job but we live in a different world. we have to empower ourselves by adopting the english language on our own terms rather than be subjected to the frame work of some one else.

I think this article is borne from some half-thought ideas. Since the last two centuries, English has been a language of the sub-continent and it has a very strong literary-traditions, history and roots in the subcontinent now. The first modern-novel and poems in English were composed by Michael Madhusudan Dutt more than two centuries ago and were very widely read at that time. Nehru, Gandhi and Jinnah wrote in English and Nehru`s skills were, perhaps, one of the finest in the sub-continent. Today, a whole genre literature, of the Indians in exile, created by Rushdie, Tharoor, Geeta Mehta exists, and writers like Arundhati Roy, Bapsi sidhwa and Anita Desai, who live in Subcontinent and write for the reader in subcontinent, do symbolise how mature the English literature is in India. Former Indian PM Narsimha Rao in spite of knowing many ``Indian`` languages choose to write his autobiographical-novel in English and so did Benazir; surprisingly, both books are badly written. Now a days, every Indian General and Civil-servant writes memoirs in English as soon as he retires, perhaps, to make sure he outputs diatribes against his colleagues who are still in service and before he`s relegated to a name on some obsecure power-plant`s dedication slab.

Writers as Kipling and forester are in fact are interesting figures. While they were excellent writers, --not one can describe Indian in monsoons better than kipling-- they could not divest themselves of the colonial superiority and it now seems pointless to try to condemn them into oblivion; it cannot be done. India, very rightly, has a National reserve park named after Jim Cobert because he was one of the first person to talk of tiger preservation at a time when every loony Maharaja and Nawab was organising jungle hunts. The problem is neither that they wrote about bangalows for, a part India did live in banglows and palaces, nor that they condemned snakes whom we, the colonised people, should try associating with, but that we are trying to wash-off something that is very much a part of Indian history, racist or not. I`m actually surprised that ``radiant reading`` is still used in some school, for it was what my father had read during his school days. But the level of the book is much better than memorising the sing-songs of ``Cat sat on the mat`` and doing translations of Hindi or Urdu sentences to English [since I studied from J&K] that I did in the name of learning English.

Your argument seems much like what Naipaul used for his diatribes against what he calls ``converted people`` -- countries like Iran, Pakistan etc, which are non-Arab, Muslim countries -- in his new book ``Beyond Belief`` and is similar to what RSS clamours against. There is nothing wrong in following traditions that started elsewhere but found a fecund soil to grow in the subcontinent. Even the old bloody past is no reason to shun something that just exists.

There is a statue of King Edward VII in University of Toronto`s park. It bears an amusing inscription ``Gracious gift from the Geovernment of India``. The status used to be near the India Gate -- the place where the flame of the soldiers is and where President pays homage to dead soldiers every 15 August. When a Russian delegation expressed surprise at finding a symbol of colonial rule near such a hollowed spot. Indira Gandhi, ten PM of India, shipped it off to the first Commonwealth country wanting a statue for pigeons to perch on. The whole incident reflects growth of the anti-western sentiments in India, for, while Nehru and Gandhi were never ashamed of the colonial rule and were rather proud of what the nation created stood for, the new Hindutv-vadis want to write off all the colonial past -- Afgan or British.

Interestingly, there is a mension of Raja Ram Mohan Roy and Tagore in the article. Both of them would be disappointed with this article, for, while the former was the person instrumental in introducing English as a language of instruction, replacing Sanskrit and Persian, latter`s Nobel prize winning work was his own translation of Geetanjali -word translates to ``an offering of songs``-- into English.

Post-independence India became very xenophobic. Anti-colonialism and anti-imperialism are yesterday`s battles. Today instead of independence, we need to move towards inter-dependence. English is one aspect of inter-dependence as the whole world is discovering. Yes, we should develop a respect for native languages of India and Indian writers. But today lets include English in our list of native languages. Also, dont forget that the boarding schools you went to did develop an outlook that was largely ``secular``. This is a good thing. The bad part is that it often led to no understanding of all the religous forces at work in the country. But in themselves, boarding schools of the type you described were not all bad. Dont throw the baby out with the bathwater.

Very accurately and beutifully written. However, in last 50 years, they have evolved to the middle. Now their student population has a large number of NRI`s and even Americans/British posted abroad primarily because those kids have to compete and settle down back in their countries of domicile.

One of my American friends, a team leader of approx 100 American expert advisors in Soudi Arabia, sent all three of his children to Mussoorie for about 10 years. Most Americans there sent their kids to US or Switzerland. Money was not the issue.

Re: Brits

Now now Rehan :)- Let`s give some credit where it is due. Brits did lay the infrastructure in terms of Grand Trunk Road and Western Railways, among many other things.

And let`s not forget them making Khyber Pass passable through an engineering feat of that time and era. And India and Pakistan (or for that matter other colonies in British Empire) would not have gained independence had it not been for the democracy that the Brits practiced, and produced great freedom fighters like Jinnah and Nehru. All in all, British rule was benovelent to a certain extent:)-

Re: Anita Zaidi

Not meaning to sound bigoted in any way, but Bapsi Sidhwa is Parsi, and Suleri is half Welsh. Do you know of any wholly Pakistani-Muslim female writers in English. I guess Tahira Naqvi qualifies, but her English stuff is translations, no?

Amar, very nicely written. But I have a vested interest. I just never could get into Shakespeare.

Re: Asim Hayat

Asim, since you asked about Pakistani ``gentlemen`` writers in English (I am assuming contemporary), I`ll point out a couple of ladies. Bapsi Sidwa and Sara Suleri.

anita

Notable Pakistani writers of English Literature!!

The last post with the title only, was meant to ask Chowkwallahs, if there were any notable Pakistani Gentlemen who had taken to writing in English, so that perhaps their contributions can be introduced at schools for teaching native english writings.......and hence develop such esoteric personalities into common Household names. I do plead ignorance on such a topic. But perhaps some notable reader can shed some lioght on this issue.

Perhaps there is an Arundhati Roy, waiting to be discovered, in Karachi, or another Hanif Qureshi in Lahore!!!

Kind Regards

Asim

Notable Pakistani writers of English Lierature!!

Re : Amar

Good Article, Makes one think!!! Made me think about my school days... Come to think of it, we too studied radiant reader at my school. Th estoried perhaps i liked the most as a youngster, of 5 or 6, were the age old Chicken Licken types, or th ones, which dealt with cooperation like a the one about the little boy, who wanted to eat some cake, so he went to the cow to get some milk, the cow said it wanted to get some hay, so he went to the farmer to get some hay, the farmer said, he will give him the hay, but only if the little boy, will fetch a pail of water from the river, so he goes to the river, gets the water, brings it to the farmer, who gives him the hay, which he takes to the cow... and so on stuff... I learnt pretty early nothing is for free in this world, as i used to ask my daddy why cant the cow give him milk without asking for something in return.... how naive.....

Retrosepctively, at least you had the chance to be taught Tagore and other Indian writers.At our prestigious schools we were not taught any Pakistani/Indian writers as far as Literature in English was concerned. Yes, it too was emphasized as exactly that...Ok Hanif Qureshi is not exactly a Pakistani and Mr S.Rushdie had a death wish!!!So thats about it for Pakistani English Writers, i suppose. OK Indian writers are probably out of questionan any way, due to the fact that we might be corrupted by their stance on morality and other views. Great logic!!! Nasty huh?But what i do most vividly recall is the emphasis of speaking the queens english, even though the Desi teacher, at Lahore, himself tried his best to delude himself into thinking that the Queen would actually be proud of him!!!!

Incidentally this reminds me of an anecdote. Its not an accurate version in so far as the venue, and the ministers name, but the stement given by our minister is 100% true!!! The queen was visiting some Pakistani Delegates, and the Foreign Minister in his formal address fell to the ground, licking the Queens Shoes saying, ``You are our queen!!, i am your humble servant!!, and we can not have any other queen``,and the queen just trampled right over him. Serves him right... Where is the dignity of our people, specially in higher offices? To call an oppressor, and an ex-colonial power, Our queen, who had raped the subcontinent of its heritage, its dignity, its pride, its culture, its wealth, leaving bloodshed and tragic hostilities in its wake we are still fueling against each other, and last but not least Koh-i-noor, to call it the monarchys crown jewels, is a great travesty of dignity!!!What is wrong with us, people? Where did we go and bury our collective shame!!!

I tend to agree with Saima, that literature of any origin/ethnicity is an entertaining and and a knowledge building affair. BUt i feel that the authors such as Rudyard Kipling tried feverishly hard to inculcate a sense of being lost, as far as the ``natives`` were concerned, without the british in the subcontinent. It`s like the British saying ``You need me here, if I were not here then the country would fall to shambles, and you alone would be responsible for its decay, by pushing me out``, in an accepted manner, far remove from the colonial context. Its for ones own good sort of thing. I find that despicable, relying on stories to reinforce caricatures, and stereotyping(one thing the British Excel at, BTW, ... the Paki at the cornerstore, to the exaggerated indian accent of the Restaurant wallahs of Bradford, or Inner London)and then trying to brainwash the natives into believing that their net worth is zilch, without the brave Englishman!!! Good commentary Amar.

But perhaps regrettably, they have left an indelible mark on our culture, and our schools. THe Brown Sahib syndrome is as prevalent in Pakistan, as it is there in India. But one thing creditable to the system is that it is perhaps in its entirety a better system, in that it offers one a chance to get out from Pakistan, and enable one to pursue a good/creditable, mind broadening education at foreign Universities after A levels, and hence enable some of us to question our inner selves critically, and perhaps allows us to see things in a different perspective.....and not just accept popular dogma at its face value, be it religion, social norms, injustices, or any other controversial area.....thats a big plus...

Carpe Diem (Seize the day), as Robin Williams said in Dead Poets Society!!

Regards

Asim

You have highlighted the most invasive source of the sub-continent`s confusion about self. Obviuously, the most admirable identity of one`s person is the English speaking one. It is sad that the Boarding schools are still so insular in their values. Perhaps parents could do something about that. As regards Tyger Tyger, I disagree with you. The poet was using the lamb as a metaphor for gentleness. the poet wonders at how could the God who created gentleness create the ferociousness of the tiger. The central idea of the poem was the struggle between good and evil and man`s inherent contradiction that he is both harsh and kind. Using a different god in the line would not serve the purpose. Blake was an English writer and should not be expected to use Hindi mythology as metaphor.

I like to think,(to reconcile my own gripes on identity:-)) that literature in any language is still worth it, because of its value in character development and plain enjoyment for the reader. Of-course, the loss of literature in one`s own language is very much regretted. Perhaps Indian parents could lobby for more local literature to form part of the curriculum so that students get an all round perspective.

Amar

Radiant Reader-- ah yes.

Reminded me of Wren & Martin. Oh what agonies it caused me.

Miss Val would dish out her favourite pennance ``Khalid, Ikbal and Zeba--please
copy pages 78-85 three times.``

Messrs. Wren & Martin, my fingers used to ache. copying out those 6 pt. pages, while I could hear my friends playing cricket. Now upon reflection even sentences used to illustrate verbs, noun etc. had non Indian context. In those hours Miss Val would personify all that was the worst in the world.

Coming back to reality, Amar, in all fairness,
these schools weren`t meant for the locals. We inherited them but initially were too awed to change the curriculum. Even though the pendulum has swung the other way. these schools still churn out Brown Sahibs.

For a long time after leaving school, I used to have a low opinion of the Urdu/Hindi medium types. I used to think of them as somehow inferior. Now I make a conscious effort to hear what is being said and not who is saying it.

(Incidentally, does anyone remembers an essay titled the Onion Eater? Would love to read it again).

regards

Nice article Amar. I wonder to what extent this colonialist attitude towards literature pervades the rest of the public education system in India, Pakistan, and other South Asian countries. Is it only apparent in the elitist boarding schools or does it also exist in the colleges and universities?

I grew up attending California public schools where there is a very strong multicultural and political bent to the study of literature. Children are exposed at an early age to the narratives and fiction of African-Americans, Chicanos, Asian-Americans, Native Americans, women, and, oh yes, long-dead straight white males. There is a strong emphasis on understanding literature in its political and social milieu, and not just studying ``art, for art`s sake.`` As a result, much of the works of Western civilization written by white males end up looking like narratives of oppression, imperalism, racism, and general injustice. An understanding of the real human experiences, emotions, and ambiguities of life that these works of fiction offer is lost unfortunately in the drive to expose underlying biases and motives. Also, narratives of the ``oppressed`` peoples are often sugar-coated and presented in the most politically correct terms, usually diminishing the real injustices and pathologies of those cultures themselves. To be sure, literature does have its political aspect, but it`s so much more. At its best, it connects us to fellow human beings and to the human condition in a way that studies of history and politics can never do. It speaks more to the heart than the mind, capturing the drama of human life and allowing us to relate to others from different times and different places.

As for the study of indigenous literature in India, Pakistan, and other formerly colonized countries, I`m all for it as long it doesn`t unfairly glorify the merits of native writers in order to build national pride and self-esteem or deny the real merits of Western literature for political reasons. But you`re right in that there`s a long way to go in reforming the antiquated, crusty literature departments of these boarding schools that shape the minds of these nations` future leaders.