Acharya Tulsi
Newspapers are fast becoming the carriers of news only on criminal activities. Every day, news on murder, loot, assault, accidents are splashed across the front pages of newspapers. Why? Admitted that crime has crossed the limit but this is certainly not the manner to get the solution. The relentless streaming of headlines and images on crime incite the younger generation, especially teenagers to possess criminal proclivity. This cannot be changed by death penalty, jail, law or discourse as has been proven time and again.
To overcome a problem, two types of approaches are adopted - temporary and permanent. The methods adopted to combat criminal mentality for now are mostly temporary and futile. A permanent, durable and long-term strategy has not evolved so far, that addresses the root-cause of crime. Temporary measures cannot change criminal mentality. Only when criminal traits are addressed, there can be some observable change.
Education is life's primary expectation. Everything in life is linked to it. A child's understanding develops through education. The younger generation's future can be secured and kept away from the labyrinth of crime by helping them imbibe moral values in the course of their education. In today's world, words like ethics and spiritual training are rarely heard and used. Any such references are fraught with religious connotations. Today's child wants to associate religion within a framework of science. Life science is an attempt in this direction to know and acquire the tastes and values of the students through a technique.
Current education system saddles the student with loads of books, but fails to provide the means to the student to process this information and enrich his knowledge. This is the root of the problem. Life science is an endeavour in which an approach to assimilate and utilize knowledge has been made. This is one methodology in which there is less to learn and more to experiment with. In the given coursework, whatever is unexpected is to be left out, whatever is expected to be included, will be the next step. An out-of-the-box approach to the personality development of the student through experimentation is the aim. Hopefully it will be successful.
Violence is a global affliction. The message of Ahimsa (nonviolence) cannot deter people from violence. A message of non-violence to students in their education at an early age will deny fertile ground for springing up of criminal behaviour. A plan for Ahimsa indoctrination has to be formulated. Once this is ingrained into students, they will choose the path of Ahimsa and fight against the use of violence in life.
