(Educated people should no longer wait to bring changes, it is time we act)
By: Thangminlun Haokip
Leo Tolstoy, the Russian writer who is regarded as one of the greatest author of all time rightly said, “ The sole meaning of life is to serve humanity “. Humanity means forgetting our selfish interests when others need our help. Humanity means extending unconditional love to each and every lving being. Humanity means being humane and benevolence.
As I lately treaded into Churachandpur, one of the most literate district in Manipur with a literacy rate of over 82.78 percent, often surpassing most of the other districts, holding the second highest literacy rate after Imphal west which holds a literacy rate of 86.98 percent, had been doing well with outstanding results of competitive exams and various educational results, startled me. I was even more astonished to see when a friend of mine invited me to visit a library Hall (Ultimate Study Hall) located at the heart of Tuibuong.
The library had such a relaxed and delightful ambience for students to study and prepare for various competitive exams and what not more. It wa silent and cosy like other library. My inner voice then ponder and asked myself a big question, “Why not people be successful if time had been judiciously and prudently organized this way. If only this kind of library could be made available and feasible for all students of all districts, how far could it bring a positive impact on the life of countless students, who are struggling to study at home, but couldn’t afford to have a separate study room, mostly amidst this obscured pandemic “, was all I had in my head.
What in my opinion hinders our society today is not mainly of the library I talked about, but the need for change- the need for the well educated, scholars and intellectual to stop being impractical- being theoretical but start getting up on their feets, and being practical for bringing changes towards education in our society. It is the need for ‘Humanity’. The big question’ What are the wise and educatedly successful people doing out there in my district? ‘. ‘Why’ was the only question that questioned me. And I said to myself “ It is no time for the wise and educated people to wait any longer. It is time we act, it is time we utilize our potentiality, it is time we become a resourceful being, for the society, for the students in particular, whom we firmly believe are the future pillars of our society, wherever it may be. It is time we serve humanity. And I may not be wrong to say that it is a shame for us while we hope of our children (young people) to become a successful person and a change agent, when we are not doing the best possible steps to improve and impart the best educational system in our society. But one could never imagine the impact it has and it would bring if only students could spent their time inside the library, when many youngsters in other districts are busy only utilising their time leisurely and uselessly when they should be wise enough to start preparing for the challenges that they are bound to face.
We should no longer wait- It is time to act
The time to act is now, the time has come to make things right. Do what is right, not what is easy nor popular. Educational system in most of the districts has been wronged. It never turns the way it should have been. It is time we come out from the concept and ideology that education should mean not only one round development, but an over all and an all round development. The time had come for students to come out of their classrooms and start enjoying learning with nature, learn through practical interaction and not just mere bookish knowledge that is bound only within the four walls of the classrooms. Education should be made boundless. The universe is so much vast only to focus just merely inside few academic books and classroom learning. Education should be a game and not a burden for students, it should be made their hobby, their best friend, not their most hated one. Students should be made to fall in love with their books, to the extent that a day without books would mean no purpose of living. And always remember that love is best when we enjoy the company of each and the absence of one leave the other lonely and broken.This could only be made possible through interactive and really happening and practically learning means, they should be made to learn in a way that education is all about doing with learning.
Today, the souls of thousands of students are crying deep inside their hearts, longing for educated and successful people to start acting accordingly and look deeply into the scenario of our educational status, to where we are now and how far we can move forward and the results or outcome it would bring, if education continues this way as we are this day. When we serve humanity and contribute the society without expectations, we are happy. That is the sole purpose of our life- to serve humanity. As Stephan Attia beautifully quoted, “ We were born to serve humanity, not to slave for society “.
