Talibanlisation of Education
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: July 16 , 2013 -
"One child, one teacher, one pen and one book can change the world. Education is the only solution. Education first," so said Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani teenage girl, who was shot in the head by Taliban gunmen for her campaign to promote education for girls in Pakistan.
A day after making an impassioned speech at the UN Youth Assembly to draw the attention of world leaders that 'all peace deals must protect women and children's rights' and called upon 'all governments to ensure free compulsory education for every child all over the world', the 16-year old girl reiterated her message while addressing at Pakistan's UN Mission in New York on July 13 that Taliban and other extremists do not understand the importance of education and vowed to continue with her struggle for a right to live in peace, for a right to go to school.
Malala had been campaigning to get girls into schools and writing a blog regularly for BBC news in which she talked about the need for education of every child, when Taliban gunmen shot her along with two other friends shortly after they left their school in Mingotra, Swat in Pakistan on that fateful day of October 9, 2012.
But Malala survives to tell the world about that savage attack and today she proclaimed, 'the terrorists thought they would change my aims and stop my ambitions, but nothing changed in my life expect this: weakness, fear, and hopelessness died. Strength, power and courage was born."
In the light of these inspiring words that came out from the mouth of a fearless and determined 16-year old girl, who does not want to be known as the girl Taliban tried to kill any more but as "the girl who struggled for her rights," we may look at the contrasting education scenario in Manipur today.
Manipur may not be facing the kind of situation prevailing in Pakistan or elsewhere when it comes to education of children including girl child, and there may be numerous schemes and projects for promotion of education, but still there are various constraints that have given undue pressure on the normal education of children in this strife-torn undeveloped State.
While the decades-old armed conflict between the State and non-State actors has pushed the children away from normal opportunities to have access to education and their mental and emotional growth, deep-rooted corruption and inefficiency on the part of the State administration has made a mockery of the projects and schemes launched from time to time to promote child education.
Planting of bombs at schools over extortion demand by UG groups or occupations of school buildings by security personnel, etc, are facts that children in Manipur have to live through.
On the other hand, call for disturbance free education may be the catchy slogan on the lip of everyone, but young and innocent students have not been spared by anyone from any agitation in the State.
Is this kind of education system that can change Manipur? Surely, not.
After all, the place from where Malala comes may be infested with Taliban who do not know what is written inside the book, but we live in a place dominated by 'mercenaries' who are worst than ignorant Taliban.
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