Devi Kar | Why Forcing Kids To Show Patriotic Fervour Or Love Is Often A Bad Idea

All teachers know a cardinal truth that the best way to put off children is to compel them to do the things we want them to do.

The freedom we enjoyed in school so far allowed us to curate our assemblies and we made sure they were age-appropriate and meaningful. There were prayers of gratitude, prayers to the Almighty to help people in distress, to protect family, school, country and our planet. The school song and the national anthem were sung with great fervour on appropriate occasions.

The reason why we didn’t insist on students singing the school song or Jana Gana Mana daily was because we discovered there was a tendency to rush through the words and both the song and the anthem sounded dry and mechanical. The kids were not “feeling” the words: they were just getting the required rituals over with as quickly as possible.

Now, in West Bengal, the new state government wants schools (government-run, government-aided and madrasas) to sing Vande Mataram every day at morning assembly. Our national song is indeed very beautiful and most Indians feel a stirring in their hearts whenever it is sung. However, there is no doubt it is difficult to render. I have heard the song being ruined by poor rendition and it certainly didn’t seem like a befitting tribute to our motherland; far from it.

It’s important to note repetition and drill are very important in the process of learning. The alphabet, multiplication tables, formulae and poems have to be repeated, recited or practised in writing most diligently when one is young. Competency in many functions develops only after this is done and the relevant learning is assimilated and internalised. But you certainly can’t make young people love their country by singing the national anthem or song every single day.

This brings us to the matter of developing patriotism in children. How can this be achieved without using coercion? In fact, children should want to sing patriotic songs which are usually catchy with pulsating beats. But those of us who have studied history, are reminded of the Horst Wessel Lied, which had to be compulsorily sung in schools during Adolf Hitler's tenure. Apart from referring to the revered swastika, it had the ominously chilling words “soon Hitler flags will fly over every street”. It was banned by the new German Constitution. Regimentation and blind worship of one’s country is likely to foster jingoism rather than deep patriotism.

One way in which people can demonstrate their love for their country is to be good citizens. I think we should emulate countries which have wisely introduced Citizenship Education from the middle school. In England, at the beginning of this millennium, the government required young students to study the subject so they may grow up to be “active citizens”, be able to “influence public life” and have “the critical capacities to weigh evidence before speaking and acting”. I have observed over my long teaching years that our students know the skeleton of our Constitution well enough to answer questions on the preamble, citizens’ fundamental duties and rights, the legislative, judicial and executive arms of the government. However, this knowledge is confined to the classroom and exams while we teachers keep lamenting the sad lack of civic sense among our people.

The GCSE “Citizenship Studies” includes a “controlled assessment” of an active citizenship project in which candidates have participated. “Citizenship” was integrated into the French educational system as a response to the terrorist attacks in Paris in 2015. This was to reinforce the “values of the Republic” and to promote community service.

Some feel that schools themselves should reflect democratic practices by giving children the opportunity to participate in some of the decision-making. However, it is questionable how far this is feasible as schools are known to be “fundamentally undemocratic institutions”. But democratic processes can definitely be tried out when electing the Student Council. Even young children can be helped to understand the essence of democracy through discussions and collective decision-making. Every student should be encouraged to be an ambassador of his or her school and certainly all students, without exception, must serve the school community in some way. Taking pride in their school’s clean and pleasant spaces, growing plants and keeping the premises litter-free will surely get them to keep these habits well into adulthood, and they will perhaps, in time, do the same for their neighbourhood, city and country. I think it is possible to love your child, your school or your country without having to declare that “it’s the best in the world”. As sensible adults we must be aware of our shortcomings and work towards addressing them. Patriotism means loving your country unconditionally, but not being blind to its problems.

The former President of India, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, had once mentioned that Indians are generally law-abiding and disciplined overseas but are careless, inconsiderate and unruly at home. If you love your country, you must take care of it and make yourself a worthy citizen. Any kind of love -- for a parent, sibling, friend, your school or even nature -- has to grow organically. Love for one's country cannot be ordered, taught or commissioned. Patriotism is an intangible emotion or trait, which if carefully fostered, can be so strong that one is ready to lay down one’s life in order to protect it. But the behaviour of Indians in public spaces is often not exemplary. They are embarrassingly loud, they jump queues, they do not use washrooms considerately and they litter their surroundings.

In conclusion, it must be noted that patriotic fervour does not mean we should look inward only. As John Donne wrote so powerfully on the inter-connectedness of humanity four centuries ago: “No man is an island/ Entire of itself…”

The writer is a veteran school educator based in Kolkata