Acharya Tulsi
Every year, new years are added on the international horizon. A year is completed and a new calendar is published. The old calendar is removed as there is no use for it except to use it as a piece of used paper. Is this not the state of international years is same? We have year of the youth, year for women, year of peace, habitat year, sometimes this and sometimes that. When these years are completed, what do they leave behind them?
Many a time it happens that a year is celebrated on international level and lakhs and crores of people of many countries do not even know which year is being celebrated. Several questions about the performance of scheduled programs in international years are always left unanswered. Immaterial of whether any work is carried out in the celebrated year, the celebrations usher in a festive mood across the world. The success of any movement or conference depends on the conducive environment. The year 1990 is being celebrated as the year of literacy across the world.
The current global population is a little more than 50 billion. According to a survey there are 90 crores people are illiterate in the world. 11 crores of these people belong to India. This is the highest percentage of illiterates across the world amongst all other nations' per capita of illiterates. On one hand, new strategies are being made for the development in the field of science and technology. On the other, crores of people are still facing the curse of illiteracy. Till the literacy movement is propagated in the right method, higher education will remain a dream.
The government is taking primary steps to be at the forefront of the movement to eradicate illiteracy across the country. The delay in the events is something unfortunate and heart-rending. The government funds are all spent but no work is initiated. In this context, former Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi said - "Out of the government funds spent for public welfare projects, not even 13% of the money reaches the public". It can be concluded that only money cannot spur these kinds of projects.
As far as the literacy is concerned, the goal of making everyone literate in this country seems to be out of reach for now. Literacy is not the sole goal in life. On this, a Sanskrit poet has sarcastically written -
Saakshara Vipreetatve, Raakshasatvam Prapadhate
Sarasah Vipreetatve, Sarasatvam na Muchyate
Sakshara, the word, has three letters. When reversed, it spells Rakshasa. The second word is. It will be same even after reversing it.
My opinion is to make a person literate and succulent. For succulent behaviour, three points are important - freedom from drugs, character-building and concentration. Jain Vishwa bharti has launched a literacy mission in Ladnun Tehsil from 28 March, 1990. Vishwabharti's trained activists will apply the three core values to life and make the mission a success, it is hoped.
