page 2 ( 49 ) Some thoughts about Upper Primary Education

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     When I entered Vth Std, I was almost a child.  After three years, when I completed VIIth Std, I had grown a little more, mentally & physically.  I understood that the earth in which we live rotates in its axis and at the same time orbits the Sun.   The sight of the moon was the most beautiful scene for me at that time.  When I realised that Man landed on the moon in 1969, I was thrilled.  I imagined myself standing on the surface of the moon and looking at the  earth in the sky.  Each star in the sky is almost like our Sun.  Who can believe this ?  Our Sun and and the planets together are called Solar System.  When I knew that our Earth is only one of the planets of the Sun, I was wondered.  When the Social Science Teacher brought  the Globe in the classroom, I had to accept the truth.  
     There are  many continents and oceans  - I learnt their names by heart.  The white skinned people and the black skinned people astonished me.   It made me realise about the colour bar existing in the world and the pathetic situation of the victims.  My country India, was under British rule, till 15th August, 1947.  This fact saddened me and I also came to know that some of the African  countries were still under imperial rule.  
     The Indus Valley  civilization which flourished during 2500 B. C. made me amazed.  The Himalayas in the North was always a wonder . Tenzing and Hillary who conquered Mount Everest for the first time were considered as heroes.  The India - Gangetic plain which is dominated by Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra attracted me very much. The triangular shaped Deccan plateau which is bounded by the Vindhyas and the Western & Eastern Ghats  comprise a main section of the country.  The Thar  desert which is  one of the largest  deserts  of the world , extends across Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab & Rajasthan.   Towards the south, Kerala lies between the Western Ghats and  the Arabian Sea.  When  I went through the independence struggle, I happened to know about great poet Rabindranath Tagore who won Nobel prize for literature.  He stood  for entire  humanity.  The greatest award by the Central Government, Jnanapith, received by writers and poets from Kerala were : -  (1) G Sankarakkuruppu ( great poet ) in 1965, (2) S.K.Pottekkat (writer) in 1980, (3) Thakazhi Sivasankara  Pillai (novelist & short story writer) in 1984.  When I heard about these poets and writers, I had a desire to read them.  
     It was a time when Silentvalley, a place situated in Palakkad district in Kerala, where different species of animals are seen, the Government had a plan to build a hydroelectric project there, making the ecosystem in danger.  The area was home to the largest population of lion - tailed macaques, an endangered species.  Therefore, together with the people's agitation, the Sastra Sahitya Parishad,  poet Sugathakumari & many eminent environmentalists were there.  As a result, the then Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi declared Silentvalley forests as a National Park.  Another incident is  Total Literacy Campaign  launched on 26 January, 1989.  The Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad superheaded the project.
     Another incident I remember about Kerala is this.  This land is famous for religious harmony.  Kerala is considered as the spice garden of India.  This land is famous for abundance of rain. Nowadays, due to the variations in weather conditions, the rain begins  a bit late or quite  unexpectedly.
     Now, I remember another thing.  I couldn't  believe that the Ist & 2nd World Wars happened here.  The sufferings of the people made  me in a paralysed state.  Women are the victims of of all the wars.  How many of them become pregnant after wars and  abandoned in refugee camps ?  The  partition  of India was on the basis of religion.  How many people especially women, experienced hellish torments.  Towards the end of World war II, USA & USSR were in cold war in which the whole countries were in a fearful state. We couldn't forget Hiroshima & Nagasakki.  Hitler's cruelties and concentration camp made me shivering.
     The history doesn't stop here.  The Chera, Chola, Pandya Kings in Southern India, the Mauryan Age, the Gupta Dynasty etc. in the Northern side seem to be mentioned.  The two epics, Ramayana & Mahabharata were produced from this country.  We witnessed Mahavira, who taught Jaina philosophy and  Buddha whose teachings we already know.
     I think I can stop my description here.  I know that there are many things to say about this world.  The animal world, the deserts, the rivers etc.  My request is this :- "you donot destroy anything in this world  which is necessary for the survival of our next generation."

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