Our society is rapidly diminishing so far as moral values are concerned. Youths, whether studying in educational institutions or engaged in different trades and occupations, seem to have gone far away from established norms of morality. The words most of students and youths utter, the acts they do and the policy and method they adopt to accomplish their cherished ends clearly manifest their mindset. And, it also shows that our young boys and girls take moral values as something useless, to be kept in books only.
However, my concern is related to the moral principles and ethics which are fast eroding from most of adults as well as the political and apolitical leaders. There was a time when a subject on moral lesson used to be part of the syllabi for students in educational institutions. It is since 1980s this system got not only changed but also stopped probably because this subject appeared to some as unnecessary as well as quite incompatible to the fast moving technology-based world. But what is being ignored and underestimated is the truth that education without good moral character is harmful not only for students but also for the society and the nation as a whole.
There is no wrong at all in making the remark that moral values seem to have reached its “nadir”, where making money by hook or by crook has become the only motto of our present society. It must be noted that omission of moral science as a compulsory subject from the curriculum of studies is totally wrong and unjustified. Our cultural heritage must not be violated and/or overlooked at any cost. Moral science focuses upon our culture and teaches the students to value and preserve the rich heritage of our composite culture. It must be kept in mind that Articles 351 and 51A (F) of the Constitution of India enjoin upon its citizens to value and preserve the rich heritage of our composite culture.
Undoubtedly, the state is under constitutional obligation to make every effort and necessary arrangement for providing educational facilities that can inculcate moral values from primary level to secondary education. As such, the fight against moral degradation ought to begin at the school level. It is quite disheartening to note that the course curriculum, which is prescribed by the Central Board of Secondary Education and the National Policy on Education, gives quite negligible place to moral education. This negligence towards moral education has been producing very bad results in the life of our young generation.
The lack of moral education is reflected in various forms and ways everywhere; be it a small village or a big city. Take for example the cases of rape that the women are subjected to. It is still fresh in memory how a heated discussion had got surfaced regarding a documentary titled ‘India’s Daughter’ which had been broadcast in the United Kingdom. The documentary focused upon the rape and brutality committed to a young woman in a moving bus in Delhi in 2012. It was claimed to be a very powerful documentary which shed light on the appalling rape, suffering and death of the victim. This also projected the struggle of a nation about how to respond to a crime that shocked not only India but the world as a whole.
Despite all this, our present government headed by a person who is a genius in playing with the sentiments of the common mass by his mesmerizing speeches, is all against awarding capital punishment to one who commits two heinous crimes simultaneously – raping and murdering. Our Prime Minister is quoted to have observed in his remarkable Red Fort speech that ‘every rapist is someone’s son’. Obviously, what the P.M. totally forgot to utter was that ‘the victim was not someone’s daughter’. I wonder, if this is not a kind of encouragement to the rapists. Under the influence of such thinking and view, no rapist is expected to be executed or awarded due punishment. So far, this leniency shown to the perpetrators and criminals has brought no good to the society. Instead the cases of rape have been soaring up. No day passes when there is no rape case especially in Delhi.
Thus, it would not be wrong to suggest that rapists must be given severe punishment. It must not be objectionable if foreign law is burrowed to deal with such cases. Where punishment is awarded in proportionate to the crime committed, cases of rape and murder are much less than the number of such cases occurring in India where rapists are allowed to roam about freely. Few years ago when L.K. Advani was asked ‘What punishment would he advocate in case if his own daughter or sister was raped and murdered’, he at once replied, ‘He would advocate for capital punishment’. What our P.M. would reply if the same question is posed to him?
Now, I dare say a few words concerning most of our political leaders engaged in toying with the rules of ethics. I have already written as to how most of our students take ethics and moral principles in their daily life. Students are obviously associated with the educational institutions, either technical or non-technical. To deal with the issues connected with such institutions there is ‘Human Resource Development’ Department. This department was some time back headed by a Minister named Smirti Irani. What I want to convey to the learned readers is the truth that the person who heads this department must be honest, straightforward, morally strong and bold enough to call a spade a spade in plain language. The person must not be goaded by the political stalwarts and bosses under any situation and must not act like a marionette or a pawn on the political chessboard.
I dare say, had the above outlined qualities been found in the HRD Department then there would not have been any case of suicide in the University of Hyderabad. Students of JNU would not have been branded as ‘anti-nationals’ and ‘sedition’ charge would not have been brought against them, relying solely upon the doctored videos. Had there been any reflection of morality and honesty by the minister and concerned officials in the office, this would not have happened at all. The open letters by a group of teachers and academicians of the Hyderabad University as also from Kanhaiya Kumar of Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi to the concerned Minister of HRD clearly showed how far the minister concerned had strayed away from the path of honesty and conscience in dealing with the issue. Every right-thinking person will share my view that this deplorable situation got surfaced only because of the ‘total lapse of ethics and moral principles’ on the part of the minister and some officials in the office. “Juda Ho Dee’n Seyasat Sey Toh Rahjati Hai Changgezi” (Separation of religion from politics brings in nothing but devastation and ruination).
The letter which Kanhaiya Kumar had written and was published in a leading English daily, spoke of the downfall of morality and ethics, which separates man from animal. I quote below some portions of Kanhaiya’s letter to the said minister. “Today a friend sent me this image and asked how under Mr. Modi’s regime – where besides our own mothers, we also have Mother Cow, Mother India, Mother Ganges and Mother Smriti – could Rohit die? I am asking you this because I have no answer. The same anti-national friend had also said that Mother Smriti’s ministry had sent several letters to punish Rohit and was also responsible for withholding Rohit’s fellowship for seven months.
“In a great country like India, can a mother drive her child to suicide? Can a mother accept punishment on her children based on doctored videos and a biased probe? Your children… are asking you this question”.
I wonder whether the present government at the centre will ever succeed in bringing our country to the shore of all round development in the society with the present infested mindset. Will ever the Cabinet ministers and the members expressing their allegiance to communal-minded political and apolitical parties and organisations project their scrupulousness, and humanity in dealing with the issues being confronted with by the common people? The common mass demands ‘roti, kapda aur makan’ and an atmosphere where flowers of equality, fraternity and love would bloom. Instead of addressing this problem and helping create such a situation, the BJP government at the centre is playing with the sentiments of the people on the ground of religion and caste and drawing a communal line between the two major communities in the country. Until this dividing line is not scratched, Modiji’s slogan ‘sab ka saath, sab ka vikaas’ will never see the light of the day.
I conclude this article with a couplet by Rasheed Afroz, Assistant Editor of an Urdu bi-monthly, ‘Gulbun’ published from Lucknow. “Yeh Daawa Tha Kay Bazi Ger Nayee Ruut Ley Kay Aayega / Chaman Mei’n Ja-ba-Ja Lekin Faqat Cheentei’n Lahu Kay Hai’n”. (It was claimed that the juggler will emerge with a new season / (on the contrary) There are gory dots & sprinkles hither and thither in the garden).