YOUR HIGHNESSES, MEMBERS OF GENERAL COUNCIL, PRINCIPAL MR.SAMAR BHADURI, VICE PRINCIPAL, GUESTS, PARENTS, STAFF AND DEAR STUDENTS OF MAYO COLLEGE.

EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE, AS YOUR PRESIDENT, I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE TO ADDRESS YOU ALL AT THE ANNUAL PRIZE GIVING, WHEN FOR SOME REASON OR THE OTHER OUR INVITED CHIEF GUEST HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO ATTEND. WHILE I AM SORRY TO DISAPPOINT YOU ABOUT THE ABSENCE OF OUR OFFICIAL CHIEF GUEST, I AM DELIGHTED TO FILL THE VACUUM AND HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY OF ADDRESSING YOU AND BEING ABLE TO SHARE SOME THOUGHTS WITH YOU.

I BEGIN BY CONGRATULATING ALL THOSE BOYS WHO HAVE DISTINGUISHED THEMSELVES ACADEMICALLY AND ON THE SPORTS FIELDS AND OTHER EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES AND HAVE WON PRIZES AND BROUGHT LAURELS TO THE SCHOOL. WELL DONE TO YOU ALL. I HOPE YOU WILL INSPIRE YOUR COLLEAGUES TO ALSO DISCOVER THEIR OWN HIDDEN TALENTS.

THE ACADEMIC RESULTS FOR THE YEAR HAVE BEEN PARTICULARLY ENCOURAGING WITH THE CLASS X AVERAGE BEING AN IMPRESSIVE 82%, WITH 25 BOYS ACHIEVING 90% AND ABOVE. MY CONGRATULATIONS ESPECIALLY TO DIWAKER JAIN FOR TOPPING WITH 98%. THE CLASS XII RESULTS HAVE ALSO BEEN COMMENDABLE WITH THE CLASS AVERAGE OF 80%, WITH ANISH PHOPHALIYA TOPPING WITH 94%. WHILE I COMMEND THE TEACHING STAFF AND COMPLEMENT THE BOYS ON THEIR PERFORMANCE, I EXHORT THOSE PREPARING FOR THIS YEAR'S BOARDS TO PUT IN THEIR VERY BEST EFFORTS AND ATTAIN THEIR BEST POTENTIAL. I WOULD PARTICULARLY LIKE TO SEE SOME MORE HIGH ACHIEVERS IN CLASS XII. THOSE WHO HAD DONE WELL IN CLASS X HAVE DEMONSTRATED THEIR ABILITY TO REPEAT THEIR PERFORMANCE AND OTHERS WITH THE HELP OF THE TEACHING STAFF CAN DEFINITELY HOPE TO SET THEIR AIMS HIGHER. I WISH YOU ALL WELL.

THIS LAST SCHOOL YEAR HAS BEEN AN EVENTFUL ONE FOR EVERYONE. MORE PARTICULARLY BECAUSE OF THE ROUND SQUARE CONFERENCE. IT IS WITH GREAT PRIDE AND SATISFACTION THAT I CAN SAY MAYO ACQUITTED THEMSELVES WITH GREAT DISTINCTION SETTING NEW BENCH MARKS THAT WILL BE A CHALLENGE FOR OTHER SCHOOLS TO EMULATE. MY CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CONVENOR, DINESH BHATNAGAR AND HIS TEAM AND ALL THE BOYS AND GIRLS WHO CONTRIBUTED TO THE SUCCESS OF THIS MEMORABLE CONFERENCE. YOU HAVE MADE MAYO PROUD. THANK YOU ALL.

THE UNFORTUNATE OUTBREAK OF SWINE FLU DISRUPTED OUR USUAL SCHOOL SCHEDULE AND UPSET OUR ANNUAL PRIZE GIVING DATES. HOWEVER, I AM THANKFUL THERE WERE NO CASES OF FLU IN THE BOYS SCHOOL AND I CONGRATULATE MR.SAMAR BHADHURI AND ALL THE STAFF FOR HANDLING THE SITUATION WELL AND RESCHEDULING THEMSELVES TO NOT ONLY SUCCESSFULLY CONCLUDE THE WINTER COACHING CAMP BUT ALSO THE PREPARATIONS FOR THIS 126^TH PRIZE GIVING DAY.

ON THIS OCCASION ON BEHALF OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL AND THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS, I CONVEY TO ALL THE STAFF, STUDENTS AND THEIR PARENTS OUR WARMEST FELICITATIONS.  

I NOW TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE WITH YOU SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT EDUCATION IN INDIA AND MAYO'S PLACE IN IT. WE IN INDIA HAVE ALWAYS SUFFERED FROM AND STILL SUFFER FROM THE DICHOTOMY OF OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM, I.E. BHARAT VS INDIA. INDIAN LANGUAGES VS ENGLISH, TRADITIONAL EDUCATION VS WESTERN-THIS DEBATE IS NOT NEW AND IS AS OLD AS THE INTRODUCTION OF FORMAL EDUCATION AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL IN COLONIAL TIMES. MAYO COLLEGE IS VERY MUCH A PRODUCT OF THE EDUCATION POLICY ADOPTED AT THAT TIME.

EVERYONE IS FAMILIAR WITH THE NAME OF LORD MACAULAY AND HIS ROLE IN FRAMING INDIA'S EDUCATION POLICY. HE IS ALSO WELL KNOWN FOR HIS CONTEMPT OF INDIAN LANGUAGES AND LITERATURE AND FOR HIS QUOTE TAKEN FROM HIS FAMOUS OR INFAMOUS "MINUTE ON INDIAN EDUCATION" IN 1835 TO THE MEMBERS OF THE SUPREME COUNCIL OF INDIA.

QUOTE:

"I HAVE READ TRANSLATIONS OF THE MOST CELEBRATED ARABIC AND SANSKRIT WORKS. I HAVE CONVERSED BOTH HERE AND AT HOME WITH MEN DISTINGUISHED BY THEIR PROFICIENCY IN THE EASTERN TONGUES. I AM QUITE READY TO TAKE THE ORIENTAL LEARNING AT THE VALUATION OF THE ORIENTALISTS THEMSELVES BUT I HAVE NEVER FOUND ONE AMONG THEM WHO COULD DENY THAT A SINGLE SHELF OF A GOOD EUROPEAN LIBRARY WAS WORTH THE WHOLE NATIVE LITERATURE OF INDIA AND ARABIA."

INDEED A VERY SWEEPING AND OBNOXIOUS DISMISSAL OF TWO ANCIENT CULTURES!

MORE RECENTLY I CAME ACROSS ANOTHER QUOTE THAT WAS DOING THE ROUNDS OF THE INTERNET, REFERRING TO LORD MACAULAY'S ADDRESS TO THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT ON THE 2^ND FEBRUARY, 1835.

QUOTE:

"I HAVE TRAVELLED ACROSS THE LENGTH AND BREADTH OF INDIA AND I HAVE NOT SEEN ONE PERSON WHO IS A BEGGAR, WHO IS A THIEF, SUCH WEALTH I HAVE SEEN IN THIS COUNTRY, SUCH HIGH MORAL VALUES, PEOPLE OF SUCH CALIBER THAT I DO NOT THINK WE WOULD EVER CONQUER THIS COUNTRY, UNLESS WE BREAK THE VERY BACKBONE OF THIS NATION, WHICH IS HER SPIRITUAL AND CULTURAL HERITAGE, AND THEREFORE, I PROPOSE THAT WE REPLACE HER OLD AND ANCIENT EDUCATION SYSTEM, HER CULTURE, FOR IF THE INDIANS THINK THAT ALL THAT IS FOREIGN AND ENGLISH IS GOOD AND GREATER THAN THEIR OWN, THEY WILL LOSE THEIR SELF ESTEEM, THEIR NATIVE CULTURE AND THEY WILL BECOME WHAT WE WANT THEM, A TRULY DOMINATED NATION."

ON READING THIS MY OPINION OF MACAULAY TOOK A FURTHER NOSE DIVE. HOW COULD A MAN SO KNOWINGLY SET OUT TO DESTROY A CULTURE FOR WHICH HE HAD SUCH HIGH PRAISE, BUT SOMETHING IN MY MIND SAID THAT THERE APPEARED TO BE A CONTRADICTION BETWEEN THE TWO QUOTATIONS, BECAUSE IN THE FIRST THERE IS ONLY CONTEMPT FOR OUR CULTURE. SO I SET ABOUT DOING SOME RESEARCH ON MACAULAY AND WENT BACK TO THE INTERNET AND TO MY SURPRISE FOUND THE FOLLOWING ON THE U.K. PARLIAMENTARY WEBSITE. 

QUOTE:

"MACAULAY'S "MINUTE ON INDIAN EDUCATION" FROM 1835, SOMETIMES REFERRED TO AS A SPEECH GIVEN IN PARLIAMENT OR A MINUTE PRESENTED TO PARLIAMENT, IS NOT A PARLIAMENTARY RECORD SO IS NOT HELD BY THE PARLIAMENTARY ARCHIVES. HIS FAMOUS MINUTE ON INDIAN EDUCATION IS DATED FEBRUARY 1835, WHEN HE WAS NOT AN MP. HE HAD RESIGNED FROM HIS PARLIAMENTARY SEAT IN EARLY 1834 AND SAILED FOR INDIA, AS HE HAD BEEN MADE A MEMBER OF THE SUPREME COUNCIL FOR INDIA. THE MINUTE WAS THEREFORE PRESUMABLY WRITTEN FOR THE SUPREME COUNCIL, NOT THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT."

QUITE OBVIOUSLY IT APPEARS THAT SOMEONE WAS HAVING FUN AT THE EXPENSE OF LORD MACAULAY AND OUR GULLIBLE INDIAN SENSIBILITY. THIS WAS QUITE POSSIBLY WHAT MACAULAY THOUGHT AND WANTED TO SAY BUT ON FURTHER READING EXTRACTS OF MACAULAY'S MINUTE ON INDIAN EDUCATION, I FOUND NO SUCH QUOTE, NOR ANY AUTHENTICATION OF IT, BUT ON THE CONTRARY MY OPINION OF THE MAN BEGAN TO CHANGE. HERE WAS A CLEAR THINKING, OUTSPOKEN MAN, DOUBTLESS A FOREIGN AGENT WITH THE BEST INTERESTS OF HIS OWN GOVERNMENT AND COUNTRYMEN AT HEART AND NOTWITHSTANDING HIS CONTEMPT FOR SANSKRIT AND ARABIC, HE HAD RAISED A PERTINENT ISSUE - WHAT WOULD BE THE MOST USEFUL MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION FOR SUCH A DIVERSE, MULTILINGUAL, MULTICULTURAL SUB-CONTINENT WHICH THEY WISHED TO RULE? HE GOES ONTO SAY:-

QUOTE:

"IN INDIA, ENGLISH IS THE LANGUAGE SPOKEN BY THE RULING CLASS. IT IS SPOKEN BY THE HIGHER CLASS OF NATIVES AT THE SEATS OF GOVERNMENT. IT IS LIKELY TO BECOME THE LANGUAGE OF COMMERCE THROUGHOUT THE SEAS OF THE EAST. IT IS THE LANGUAGE OF THE TWO GREAT EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES WHICH ARE RISING, THE ONE IN THE SOUTH OF AFRICA, THE OTHER IN AUSTRALASIA: COMMUNITIES WHICH ARE EVERY YEAR BECOMING MORE IMPORTANT, AND MORE CLOSELY CONNECTED WITH OUR INDIAN EMPIRE."

THESE ARE PROPHETIC WORDS OF WHAT INDEED IS THE SITUATION PREVAILING TODAY EVEN AFTER THE DEMISE OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE. HE GOES ON FURTHER TO ELABORATE HIS POLICY.

QUOTE:

"I FEEL THAT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR US, WITH OUR LIMITED MEANS, TO ATTEMPT TO EDUCATE THE WHOLE BODY OF THE PEOPLE. WE MUST AT PRESENT DO OUR BEST TO FORM A CLASS WHO MAY BE INTERPRETERS BETWEEN US AND THE MILLIONS WHOM WE GOVERN; A CLASS OF PERSONS, INDIAN IN BLOOD AND COLOUR, BUT ENGLISH IN TASTE, IN OPINIONS, IN MORALS, AND IN INTELLECT. TO THAT CLASS WE MAY LEAVE IT TO REFINE THE VERNACULAR DIALECTS OF THE COUNTRY, TO ENRICH THOSE DIALECTS WITH TERMS OF SCIENCE BORROWED FROM THE WESTERN NOMENCLATURE, AND TO RENDER THEM BY DEGREES FIT VEHICLES FOR CONVEYING KNOWLEDGE TO THE GREAT MASS OF THE POPULATION."

THIS IS THE THOUGHT PROCESS THAT GAVE BIRTH TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF MAYO COLLEGE AND TO THE EDUCATION SYSTEM WE INHERITED AT INDEPENDENCE, WHILE THE DEBATE OF WHO OR WHAT MAKES AN INDIAN CONTINUES, MACAULAY GOT ONE THING WRONG - HE DIDN'T FULLY COMPREHEND THE MIND SET OF AN INDIAN - ONCE AN INDIAN ALWAYS AN INDIAN.

THIS IS THE MESSAGE I WANT TO CONVEY TO YOU TODAY, WE SHOULD NOT TRY TO BE WHO WE ARE NOT AND TAKE PRIDE IN WHO WE ARE AND DRAW UPON THE STRENGTHS THAT OUR GREAT AND ANCIENT CIVILIZATION HAS LEFT US, THE GREATEST OF WHICH IS OUR ALL EMBRACING SPIRITUALISM.

I THINK OF MY OWN EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE - I DID NOT GO TO MAYO BUT WAS SENT TO ENGLAND AT THE AGE OF 8 TO PREP SCHOOL, PUBLIC SCHOOL & UNIVERSITY, FOR 14 YEARS - "CHOWDA SAL KA BANWAS!" I LEARNT A LOT THERE AND MADE MANY GOOD FRIENDS WHOM I STILL MEET FREQUENTLY BUT THEY COULD NOT TURN ME INTO AN ENGLISHMAN - IN FACT I LEARNT TO APPRECIATE AND VALUE MY CULTURAL ROOTS MUCH MORE FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE.

THERE WAS AN ERA WHEN MANY INDIANS, LOOKED TO THE WEST AND DEVELOPED COUNTRIES AND MODERN TECHNOLOGY WITH GREAT ENVY AND AWE - WE WANTED EVERYTHING "PHOREN" AND WERE INFACT STARVED FOR "PHOREN" - BUT ALL THAT IS FAST CHANGING, EVERYTHING IS AVAILABLE IN INDIA NOW AND WE ARE MAKING HUGE STRIDES IN TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION - INDIA TODAY IS AN EXCITING, THOUGH AT TIMES FRUSTRATING, PLACE TO BE WITH TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG EDUCATED PEOPLE. WHAT WE LACK IS EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION OF ESSENTIAL RESOURCES, SERVICES AND EDUCATION FOR OUR POOR MASSES AND ABOVE ALL THE NEED FOR MORE OPEN, ACCOUNTABLE AND RESPONSIVE GOVERNANCE. I SINCERELY BELIEVE THAT YOUNG PEOPLE LIKE YOU CAN MAKE THE DIFFERENCE.

TODAY'S MAYO IS FOR ALL STRATAS OF SOCIETY. THE MAYO OF OUR ANCESTORS WAS FOR THE PRINCES OF RAJASTHAN, TODAY IT IS FOR THE YOUNG LEADERS OF INDIA TO GO FORTH AND UNLEASH THE POTENTIAL OF INDIA'S HUNGRY AND ILLITERATE MASSES.

AND SO WE RETURN TO OUR DEBATE BHARAT VS INDIA. WE AT MAYO FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT "BHARAT" IS IN OUR VEINS, IN OUR MINDS AND IN OUR SOULS WHILE "INDIA" HAS GIVEN US THE SKILLS AND TOOLS SUCH AS AN UNIVERSAL INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGE, SCIENCE AND MODERN EDUCATION TO IMPROVE OUR MATERIAL LIVES AND THE LIVES OF OUR COUNTRYMEN AND TO TAKE OUR RIGHTFUL PLACE IN GLOBAL AFFAIRS AS THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST DIVERSE AND VIBRANT DEMOCRACY.

SHASHI THAROOR - IN HIS ARTICLE - TITLED "ULTIMATELY, WHAT IS INDIA," HAS RAISED MANY PERTINENT QUESTIONS BUT ON A LIGHTER NOTE RELATES A STORY ABOUT A SMALL BUT PROUD PUNJABI FARMER.

QUOTE:

AN AMERICAN AGRICULTURAL AID EXPERT COMES TO INDIA TO GIVE ADVICE ON AGRICULTURE. THIS MAN COMES AND VISITS THIS SMALL INDIAN FARM IN PUNJAB WHERE LAND HOLDINGS AREN'T VERY LARGE. BUT THIS SIKH FARMER WELCOMES HIM VERY PROUDLY AND SAYS, 'MY LAND EXTENDS ALL THE WAY TO THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY THERE.' 'DO YOU SEE THAT BUNCH OF TREES OUT THERE? MY LAND GOES AS FAR AS THAT. CAN YOU SEE THAT LITTLE IRRIGATION CANAL?' 'MY LAND GOES ALL THE WAY THERE.' THEN HE TURNS TO THE AMERICAN AND SAYS, 'HOW FAR DOES YOUR LAND GO'?

NOW THIS AMERICAN IS A FARMER FROM THE MID-WESTERN PRAIRIE STATES, WITH HUGE HOLDINGS. HE SMILES AND SAYS, 'WELL, IN THE MORNING I GET INTO MY TRACTOR AND I DRIVE FEW HOURS SOUTH, TO THE SOUTHERN BOUNDARY OF MY FARM, AND THEN I TURN WEST AND I DRIVE ANOTHER THREE HOURS TO THE WESTERN BOUNDARY AND THEN IT'S ONE HOUR NORTH TO THE NORTHERN BOUNDARY AND FINALLY AT SUN-DOWN, I SPEND ANOTHER COUPLE OF HOURS GETTING BACK TO MY FARM HOUSE.'

THE SIKH FARMER SMILES VERY SYMPATHETICALLY AND SAYS, 'I KNOW, I KNOW, I TOO USED TO HAVE A TRACTOR LIKE THAT.' SO THE POINT OF THE STORY IS IT IS POSSIBLE TO SPEAK THE SAME LANGUAGE AND UNDERSTAND DIFFERENT THINGS. THE WHOLE POINT ABOUT INDIANNESS IS THAT WE CAN SPEAK DIFFERENT LANGUAGES AND UNDERSTAND THE SAME THING.

LET US ALL AMPLIFY THIS STRENGTH AND LEARN TO UNDERSTAND ONE ANOTHER BETTER AND WORK TOGETHER TO BUILD AN INDIA WE CAN TRULY BE PROUD OF.

I WISH YOU ALL A HAPPY, PRODUCTIVE AND MEANINGFUL FUTURE.

"JAI BHARAT"