RAISING THE BAR OF ACADEMIA - By Swapan Dasgupta
and/or www.mantra.com/jai
By Swapan Dasgupta, Columnist
The Pioneer
Sunday, July 17, 2011
At times, the inclination to get autobiographical becomes
irresistible. Sometime, early in 1972, a small group of friends who
had just finished school and performed much better than our own
expectations, took what amounted to a collective decision: We decided
to leave Kolkata. Three of us secured admission in St Stephen's
College in Delhi, and one chose the college 'across the road' -- the
Stephanian description of Hindu College. Although each of us
subsequently spent a few years of our professional lives back in
Kolkata, the summer of 1972 symbolised the decisive break from the
city we grew up in. We were among the first wave of middle class
refugees from the political madness that engulfed West Bengal after
1967.
Our story isn't unique. All over Delhi or for that matter London, New
York and Toronto, there are individuals with a similar story to tell.
Some fled Kolkata after school, some lingered on for a first degree
that took longer than the stipulated time and some departed after
being confronted by a professional dead end. Over the years, Kolkata
became a nice place to get out of.
For decades, the Bengali diaspora lamented its involuntary exile.
What made the rupture from the roots even more distressing was the
realisation that by electing and re-electing a Left Front Government
for seven successive terms, the people of the State were in effect
saying 'good riddance' to those who left for a more fulfilling life.
In the world of 'progressive' politics, those who left belonged to
the dustbins of history. We were the 'white' refugees from 'red'
Bengal. Our plight resembled the Iranians who left after the 1979
Islamic revolution or the Lebanese who departed after Beirut was left
to the dogs of war.
This summer was Bengal's moment of self-discovery. I was mocked by
the radicals on Facebook for drawing a parallel with the fall of the
Berlin Wall. But I can find no better analogy to describe the return
of sanity to a State that once saw itself as India's trend-setter.
At the same time, the jubilation was also couched with wariness. The
people of West Bengal had finally woken up to the State's sustained
devastation. It finally dawned on them that Left politics also
involved a state of left behind -- the inability to participate in
and enjoy the rewards of economic deregulation in India. Yet, while
Mamata Banerjee emerged as the alternative, there were concerns over
her ability to make the transition from agitation politics to
responsible governance. The concerns were justified since there were
occasions in the past the new Chief Minister had outdone the CPI(M)
in being Left-wing.
It is still too soon to pass any definite judgement. However, if the
physical spring cleaning of Writers' Building suggested a
determination to fight an entrenched culture of clerical cussedness
and indolence promoted by the CPI(M)'s white-collar trade unionism,
there was more to come. Last week, Mamata Banerjee endorsed the
appointment of an eight-member Group of Mentors headed by historian
Sugata Bose of Harvard University to facilitate the revival of
Kolkata's Presidency College as a centre of academic excellence.
The appointment of a body of accomplished alumni to restore academic
standards to this premier institution that was granted university
status by former Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee in the dying
days of the Left Front isn't likely to work miracles. Over the past
three decades, the academic credentials of Presidency College have
suffered because of the politicisation of its administration. In a
move that was characteristic of its levelling down approach to
everything it perceived as elitist, the college was transformed into
a safe haven for mediocre and sub-standard teachers with Left
affiliations. Presidency College still attracted the best students
but the ability of the teachers to service such talent posed a
problem.
The assault on Presidency College's academic standards was not
unique. Thanks to an insidious philosophy of anti-elitism, some of
India's best institutions have been wrecked. Teachers who are unable
to rise to exacting standards and, instead, suffer from an
inferiority complex invariably become destructive and bloody-minded.
The tyranny of mediocrity has devastated India and is the single-most
important reason why the academic returns from public expenditure
have been so pitiful.
It is to Mamata Banerjee's credit that she has at least begun to
address an issue that politicians are loath to confront: Academic
standards. So preoccupied is the political class with the spread and
funding of education that they gloss over the quality of education.
Instead of constantly raising standards to make India's education
world-class, the tendency is to constantly lower the bar. Anything
else is perceived as being biased in favour of entrenched social
classes and discriminatory towards first generation literates and
students from less-privileged backgrounds.
The condescension involved in equating levels of scholarship with
social backgrounds should be naturally offensive. Yet, the so-called
progressives have persisted with their social engineering. Mamata
Banerjee isn't trying to build an institution that values social
snobbery. But if she is trying to reposition Presidency College as an
island of scholastic achievement, her attempts should be endorsed.
Bengal declined because it blunted its competitive advantage for the
sake of a spurious egalitarianism. If Mamata Banerjee takes steps to
offset this brand of progressive politics, she may yet find a
receptive audience in Bengal. After all, it was against narrow-minded
populism that people like me voted with our feet in 1972.
Comments:
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Re: Raising the bar for academia
By NC on 7/10/2011 2:00:57 PM
@ ABM - Here is what you are talking about.
http://www.namaskarkolkata.com/wb-goes-for-admission-in-engineering-without-jee/
it is only valid for vacant seats, and such seats remain vacant only
in colleges whose levels of academics must be otherwise suspect, I am
sure that in Jadavpur U or even the now pedestrian-but-once-not-so BE
College have seats lying empty for want of a candidate.
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Wait & See
By Rebelben on 7/9/2011 9:00:22 PM
From a neutral point of view.."Nothing has Changed as Yet"... whether
the change is for good is a matter of circumspection. People have to
change their psyche (which has been we don't know why ..a primarily
lethargic attitude towards real & productive work... and also
discouraging towards those who really wanted to work..hence the
exodus). The political change seems merely a change over...more so
for the lower middle class and poor..only to see what more is on
offer..rather than how much better.
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Revisionist
By Whatever on 7/4/2011 11:44:41 PM
Left rule in Bengal had done many damages to the state, however there
is no doubt that it is Left that ended poverty in rural Bengal
through large scale land reform. While it is important to criticise
left for its misdeed, let's not forget the good side of their rule.
What I fear that people like Swapan Dasgupta would try to legitimise
the oppressive 1972 politics under the garb of acceptable criticism
of left politics. Isn't that what it is when he says "...narrow-
minded populism....
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Bar At Law
By Jitendra Desai on 7/3/2011 5:01:27 PM
Good move. But what do you make of her move to return Singur land?
You don't want excellence in manufacturing? Bengalees are not merely
good at academics. They are very fast learners of skills.
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true
By S DAS on 7/3/2011 9:19:28 AM
Very nice..
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Bengal's Rennaisssance
By Maheswar in Kathmandu on 7/3/2011 7:09:15 AM
Whilst this may be true in W Bengal and Bangladesh, alas the worst of
Bengali and Bihari populism reigns now in Nepal; and with much pride
for South Asia's Maoists and Communists who see Nepal as the bastion
for future revolutions.
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Raising the bar of academia
By Jay Ravi on 7/3/2011 2:00:37 AM
A well-written piece. Thanks to the four-decade old Left perfidy,
West Bengal has become a has-been, a left-over. Because of their
(mis)rule, an image has been created that every Bengali is a born
marxist -- beholden to strikes, gheraos, lethargy and poor work
ethics. This wrong image has to be corrected-- the present state is
so low that every new step from now on can only be for the better.
Didi has been blessed with a wonderful opportunity- it is for her
seize it and bring back the Sonar Bang
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Acadmic Standards - the BIG LIE
By Abm on 7/3/2011 1:22:51 AM
Mamata Banerjee's govt has just issued a dictat promoting entry into
Engineering colleges without giving JEE. What about that? Dont you
think that people from Bengal colleges are doing better in most of
the best cos. You wont agree would you ?You people have done a greate
disservice to the people out of Bengal by promoting half baked
truths, outright lies and spun stories (like the one above). I can
safely say people who support this mad idiot is not only mad but also
a BIG CHUTIA..
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http://dailypioneer.com/350337/Raising-the-bar-of-academia.html
Jai Maharaj, Jyotishi
Om Shanti
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