Anglo-Indian Schools have a proud place in education as they are the pioneers of modern education, said N. Ram, Editor-in-Chief, The Hindu, while inaugurating The Anglo-Indian Schools Tamil Nadu State Athletic Meet - 2011, here on Saturday.
They brought in values of enlightenment, rationality and science. India is a multi-cultural, multi-religious and multi-lingual society. The Constitution guarantees equality for all, which means no group is more or less equal than the other. It also does not mean that the majority is more equal than the minority.
Sports is a great leveller which brings everybody together. Nothing except individual skill and technique matters in it, he said.
Mr. Ram commended the students who took out a march past. “It was wonderful watching the students march by. They were smart, marched aesthetically and the whole thing appeared as if it were a choreographed event.”
India's record in sports was a mixed bag. Though the country had performed reasonably well in the past decade, compared to China, South Korea it had a long way to go. “We have a chess champion in Viswanathan Anand, our cricket team enjoys the number one ranking among Test playing nations and Abhinav Bindra has performed well in shooting. But in track and field events and football, India has a long way to go.”
It is necessary and crucial to lay a broad-based foundation for development of sports in the country.
Referring to the Common Wealth Games scam and the doping scandal, he said it was a matter of shame that the athletes had resorted to such unethical practices. The blame game was on and the malaise was deeprooted.
There is a need to eradicate such practices, Mr. Ram said, and added that there were no shortcuts to achievements in sports. And if there were any, they would be found out sooner than later. Schools must instil a sense of fair play among students.
He called for the launch of a sports development programme. He told the students that though winning in sports was important, what was most important was playing the game by the rules.
Llewellyn Xavier, Principal, Stanes Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School, Mercy Oommen, Correspondent, Stanes AIHSS, and Philip R.J. Fowler, Chairman, Stanes AIHSS, were present.
Keywords: Anglo-Indian schools, modern education, Editor-in-Chief N. Ram, sports development programme
Readers of The Hindu should read this.:
Lord Macaulay said the following about India in 1835 in the British Parliament. "I have traveled across the length and breadth of India and I have not seen one person who is a beggar, who is a thief. Such wealth I have seen in this country, such high moral values, people of such calibre, that I do not think we would ever conquer this country, unless we break the very backbone of this nation, which is her spiritual and cultural heritage, and, therefore, I propose that we replace her old and ancient education system, her culture, for if the Indians think that all that is foreign and English is good and greater than their own, they will lose their self-esteem, their native self-culture and they will become what we want them, a truly dominated nation."
An excellent article and sport brings human beings together. The Constitution of India guarantees equality for all but only on the paper. The reality is gruesome more than 700 million Indians live in poverty. The reality shows that Indians are not equal and they do not have the same chances in life. There is a prosperous middle class and an upper class who lead a western life style, their first language is English and the gap between rich and poor is tremendous especially seen in cities like Mumbai, Kolkata or Chennai. Anglo-Indian Schools brought really in values of enlightenment, rationality and science. Inaugurating The Anglo-Indian Schools Tamil Nadu State Athletic Meet was an special event because sports is important for youth to form their character and personality and to make friends. Sports should be available for all young Indians not only for the middle and upper class. Mr. Ram is right when he calls for the launch of a sports development programme.
As a fan of Mr.Ram, I never miss any news report that includes Mr.Ram's participation. His comments are always honest and impartial.
I congratulate Sri.N.Ram for his comments on the Anglo Indian Schools and their credidility in all spheres of life. It is gratifying that An Anglo Indian, Dr Charles Dias has for the first time from Kerala has been nominated as an MP in the Lok Sabha.
Mr. Ram's speech has covered almost all aspects of education.
Please Email the Editor