“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” Dr. Mandela
Education is a very important factor in a person's life. Education plays a vital role in shaping a person or community's life. Education brings transformation in people's lives and in any community. Education gives eyes and mouth to a person and community. Prior to education, a person or community is like a blind man, who is alive but dependent on others. The blind man survives but he needs help any each moment of his life from others. The uneducated person or community is like that too.
The Dalit and other Oppressed castes in India, also have been far behind in education. Please note it is not that they don't want to be educated but it is that they have been denied education for long now. The Manu's social system says, "education is only for the high castes" And for this reason, the lower castes were restricted from education. The door of education was closed, so these people and communities got behind in all spheres of life. For this reason, majority of them are laborers, rickshaw pullers, sweepers, construction worker, Brick field workers, etc.
Dr. N. Mandela a freedom fighter in South Africa realized this fact that education will change their people's future. So he asked his people to get education and he encouraged them to do anything but be literate. The literacy brought changes in the lives of the Mandela's people. They were able to understand what was their system, what were their rights and privileges etc.When those people got education, it became harder for the people who were in minority but ruling the majority.
So, it is true, in the context of the oppressed people in India. The present social organizations, our education departments and the World level organizations should make every effort to educate the Dalits and the oppressed people and their communities to uplift them. The education will change their lives and future. The education will give them new hopes to live and to grow.
Dr. B.R. Ambedkar is the best example in this age. He comes from a very poor and unprivileged community. He was denied education. He was discouraged and humiliated by his classmates and even by his teachers but he continued and became a successful man in India. He was the one who got literate and was able to write the constitution of the free India. He also said, "educate...to his people and others who got behind in the success of the modern society.
In short, I want to say that let every citizen of our country, whether he is poor or rich, of rural or metro city, from any caste, should be educated. The education will change him or her, not only that but also his or her future in a few years to come soon.
Let me end with this quote from Dr. Nelson Mandela “No country can really develop unless its citizens are educated.” We all should think about this, if we want our whole society to be developed.
