Role of education in creating harmony

Oasis

Looking at the current global political scenario, the demand for harmony between various communities, castes and regional, linguistic and other inter-caste groups, is on the top of every nation’s agenda.

There is also a heightened awareness that in the absence of harmony, all our energy, money, and attention is wasted either in efforts to prevent the worsening of relations between various groups or in bringing to normalcy the conditions of law and order after episodes of disturbance of relations between various communities or groups.

The society, as it is constituted, today, is so closely knit that a disturbance caused by one factor in one sector, sets waves of disturbance in other sectors. Disharmony in the form of environmental degradation is the best example of recent times.

It is, therefore, essential that all institutions and all aspects of an organised society work in unison to create holistic harmony, else an incongruous step by one person or a desynchronised tune by another can disturb the total harmony or break the rhythm of the system.

Research has proved that education is one of the most important sectors which can contribute a lot to the well-being and smooth functioning of society. However, the present system of education does not cultivate the qualities of tolerance, humility, co-operation, concern for the well-being of society, and responsibility for one’s own actions.

Also, students are not taught about simplicity, honesty, justice, non-violence and fair play. As a result of this, even after spending so many years in a school and college or at the university, there is often a lack of gentleness, sincerity and humanism, and a goal.

The society, therefore, may have a high percentage of literates or educated people, yet there may be a commotion in legislative bodies, total disregard for law, criminal tendencies and unsocial habits. One does not need explanations to understand that it is the aforesaid factors that create disharmony. Education would, therefore, fulfil its noble objective only if it imparts the values that create harmonious personalities, helps us maintain harmony in society, nature and our own self.