Our earth is around 4.6 billion years old. In its entire journey from its inception up to this date, it has neither changed in its mass, nor deviated from its orbit. Rather it has maintained a status quo in toto.However, human beings, who are of recent origin on the face of earth, have maintained continuity as well as undergone change with the passage of time since their evolution. We have progressed from the discovery of fire to the discovery of wheel as well as writing and even far beyond that not only in our technological advancements but also in our socio-economic, political and cultural endeavours. In short, we have brought a topsy-turvy change on earth’s surface. But we are yet to deal with our problems of caste system, dowry deaths, corruption, nepotism and superstitions. Withevery possible change, we still witness some sort of continuity in a significant number of aspects and attributes. One such superstition has encroached in our educational system where arts and social science students are considered inferior to the students from science background. Being an arts student, I am prime witness as well as victim to this fact, like thousands of other arts students studying in our colleges and higher seats of learning. What I personally observed is that we are made mockery upon and given step motherly thought not only by our fellow students but sometimes by even our teachers. This is really a sorry state of our educational system. After some primary anddeeper research into it, what I found was astonishing. At the heart of this discrimination is a materialistic mind setup generated in our own families. Consciously or sub consciously, our parentsforce us to go for science subjects, soon after we pass our intermediate course exams, merely because huge returns as well as higher reputation is associated with the professions related to science. In every possible way, our elders force upon us their decision by making their own cost benefit analysis. Alas! They don’t pay any heed towards our aspirations and choices. They even don’t bother about whether science interests us or not. From here they sow the seeds of discrimination. Because in our social set-up, any student who takes up arts subject is looked upon as a have- not.
What adds to our irony is when science students think and consolidate firmly the notion that every arts/social science student is a dullard and an inefficient one or in more lucid terms the rotten stuff. This not only demotivates the arts or social science students but also hinders their progress. History is witness to the fact that when there was not any differentiation of knowledge into separate subjects, scholars and philosophers used to work in a holistic manner. That is why, even today we remember the great Greek scholar Aristotle as the father of biology as well as father of political science. It was only after the horizons ofknowledge touched skies that we began to segregate knowledgeinto different streams of science, social science and arts. But never ever in human history has knowledge or learning in the academic seats been categorised into any superior and inferior streams or even useful and less useful ones. Let me ask a simple question over here to all the parents and teachers who emphasize their siblings/students too much on taking science subjects and trying to avoid arts in every possible way. Whom do we need to make better policies, to deal with international affairs, to form better governments, to work as administrators? or in that case,whom do we need to contribute and make our lives as well as our societies a better place to live in? The answer is never arts or science graduates at all. We need the most talented, laborious, dedicated, rational and productive citizens despite their streams or academic backgrounds. As has been quoted beautifully by Aristotle,“Man is a social animal. If he lives out of society, he is either a beast or an angel”. In order to make our society a better and healthier place to live in, we need every individual, despite his/her educational background. This is the society where we can dream of our better, safer and healthier tomorrow. Let’s walk hand in hand. Together we can.
(Author is an arts student at GDC Kulgam . Views are her own)
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