December 5, 2011
History has been popularly the most unpopular subject in schools. Its reputation is so bad that students stop reading not only history but books all together as soon as they are out of high school.
These days the government policy in India ensures that even if kids want to read, they remain sufficiently illiterate to be unable to make it a hobby.
But then this translates to more viewers for the mind-numbingly dumb programming available in multiple television channels, more devotees for quack gurus, more goons (part-time), more background dancers (day-time) and more ill-informed voters to keep corrupt politicians in power, in rotation.
It is a brilliant plan to catch them young and keep them immature.
Getting to the Book 2 of Tavernier's travels which is about the Mughal dynasty, I became aware of how bloody Indian history from the 15th century had been. The author insists in the preface that he is merely recording the facts and leaving the judgement to the readers.
I accept his invitation.
The events he recounts are mostly cringingly cruel and morbidly disturbing. It is nothing like I remember from my high school history lessons.
With their early exposure to violent video games, I think kids of today are ready to receive the full history story in middle and high schools.
If taught with details, instead of the drab so and so's son succeeded him routine, then overnight, history would become the most popular subject in school.
What Jehangir did to his son or Aurangazeb did to his brothers and father makes Saw look like Legally Blonde!
A footnote in one of the earlier chapters of the book insists that blinding as a punishment using a heated copper rod or sword had become ineffective. You see, some of the blinded folks manage to get back their sight partially through surgery later. So by the time Jehangir wanted to punish his rebel son, he insisted that the eyeballs be completely removed using a lancet. Heated, of course! Red-hot!
If stories like these won't keep kids, brought up on Cartoon Network and PoGo, attentive, what would?!
Aren't they as titillating as the MMS videos that are being recorded and shared in every worthwhile classroom across the nation?!
From history to economics, but maintaining the horror theme:
"The current economic deterioration of India is the single most important under-reported story these days..." tweeted Tyler Cowen yesterday (thanks Rajeev for sharing)
In Kerala, we have been busy with textile showroom opening and dam closing. Rest of India has been busy fighting Foreign Direct Investment to the retail sector. In the middle of this, the finance ministry slyly announced the slipping economic numbers which Anand Mahindra (i.e. the Mahindra) called a 'brutal wake up call". That is putting it mildly.
Manufacturing sector registered a meager 2.7% growth. In a country that churns out 10 million graduates every year, that is more than brutal.
American Federal Reserve is not in a position to print anymore money which their banks can then bring and park here. There was a hope that FDI in retail sector would lubricate the overpriced, stagnant real estate sector which has gone way beyond the reach of Indians who don't have Swiss bank account. That hope had the lifespan of a week!
Wonder what Manmohanji Singhji (2 ji-s) will pull out of his turban next?!
By next election, looks like that turban will need divine help like Draupadi's saree.
This note is shorter than usual because today was an experimental 'home alone' day for me. With my paranoia about possible pain, all activities take twice and thrice as long. Unfortunately, I am not performing any of those activities where this would actually be a desirable improvement!
Thus, precious little happened during the day except reading.
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