Today'sPaperOPINION

Lexiconofdemocraticliteracy
ArunaRoy
Theintroductionofeducationalqualificationsaseligibilitycriteriaforcontestingpanchayatelectionshasshockedandangeredrural
Rajasthan,includingsupportersoftherulingBJP

Whentheliteracydrivewasinfullforce,IhappenedtovisitavillageinAjmerdistrictwithafriendwhowasacivil
servant.Therewasboldgraffitionaprominentschoolwall,whichsaid:Sakshartakikyapehchan?Uparchaddi,niche
baniyan(Howdoyourecogniseliteracy?Theshortsaboveandthevestbelow).Mypuzzledofficerfriendaskedthe
villagerswhatpromptedthegraffiti.Theyreplied,Youdontrunschoolsforourchildrenteachersareabsentbecause
theydontwanttostayinthevillage.Yourtransportsystemdoesnotfunction.Oureagerchildrenremainilliterate.But
laterwhenwearetiredandwornout,youcometoteachusliteracy.Pleaserunourschools.
SuccessiveRajasthangovernmentsdidnotlistentothesevoices,perhapsbecausethechildrenoftherulingelitestudy
inexpensiveprivateschools.Butthepresentgovernmenttoppedthemallwhenitdecidedtoshutdown17,000schools,
almostallinremotevillages.Aspeopleprotestedanddemandedthattheybereopened,theyweretoldthatthosewho
nevergotanopportunitytogotoschoolwillnowbedebarredfromstandingforelections.
Debarredfromcontesting
Thisfiatthroughordinancethatrequirespassingclass8and10aseligibilitycriteriaforstandingforelectionscame
justdaysbeforetheelectionsforsarpanchandpanchayatsamitimembers.Ithasshockedandangeredmostofrural
Rajasthan,includingsupportersoftherulingparty.Thisdecisionwilldisqualify95percentofruralwomenand80per
centoftheelectoratefromstandingforelection.Thisarbitrarystephasraisedmanyquestions.Perhapstheanswerto
allofthemisthatthisisadeliberatemovetoensureelitecaptureofgrassrootsdemocracy.Inonestroke,thisdecision
laystheblameandburdenofeducationonthepeopleandensuresthecontinuanceofpowerinthehandsofafew.
Governmentsneedtotakeallvoicesintoconsideration.Thepunishmentforfailureofdeliverycannotbeinflictedonce
againonthevictim.Women,Dalitsandtribals,whoareatthebottomofthepile,willbethemostaffected.
Ihavebeentrainedfor40yearsofmylife,particularlyindemocracy,ethics,andgovernance,byilliteratebuthighly
educatedpeopleinruralIndia.Wehavetradedskills.Naurti,nowSarpanchofHarmara(Ajmerdistrict),isilliterate,
butlearnttousethecomputerattheageof50andteachesmiddleandhighschooldropoutshowtousethecomputer.
Shehasnoclass8certificate,butusesthewebsiteoftheMinistryofRuralDevelopment.Whoismoreskilledbetween
usisdebatable.IwouldnotadvocatethatNaurtiheadtheMinistryofHumanResourceDevelopmentorthatsheteach
meShakespeare,butinmattersofgovernanceinthepanchayatsheisheapsbetter.Myinformallearningaboutthe
inventionofscientificthought,ofGalileoandKalidasa,haveprovidedaworldviewworththelearning.ButIamnot
equippedlikeNaurtitounderstandthenittygrittyofgettingapanchayatquorumtotakeadifficultandjustdecision
whenfacedwithacontentiousissue.IdonotknowifIcouldfacetheireandpossibilityofviolenceforstandingagainst
sati,withoutcasteormoneyonmyside,asshedid.Shewillnotbetrappedintoasituationbyunethical,unjustpeople
norwillshebetrappedbythewritingonapaperthatshecannotunderstand.
Illiteracyisnotmerelyfromlackofschooling.Itcancomefromignoranceofhighlyspecialisedmodesofgovernance
whichevenanM.A.degreecannotaddress.ButgovernanceinruralRajasthanneedsethicsandgutsvaluesnot
determinedbyclass8certificateswhich,incidentally,canoftenbeobtainedillegally,especiallybytherulingelitein
thearea.
Anessentialtool
Ofcourseliteracyisanessentialtool,whichiswhythestatehasaresponsibilitytoensurethatpeoplehavetherightto
education.Butliteracycannotbemademoreimportantthanintelligenceandethics,whicharenativetothehuman
species.AquickreviewofunintelligentandviolentactsthathavetravelledoutofRajasthan,ortherenewalof
traditionalmethodsoffeudalcontrol,haveactuallybeenledbyliterateindividuals.Promotersofsatiwerehighly
literatemenwholedamassivedemonstrationbydrawingoncasteloyaltiesandvaluesofthefeudalelite.Rape,
corruption,cheatingandinjusticehavenotoccurredbecauseofilliteracy.Honourkillings,therevivalofwitchhunting,

thedevelopmentofmodernmethodsofcorruption,togetherwithprimitivepublicpunishmentssuchasstrippingand
paradingwomenhavenotcomefromilliteracytheyhavecomefromthemisuseoftraditionalandofficialpowerto
retainelitecontroladeadlycombination.Protestsagainstsuchactshavecomefromordinarypeoplewhoarebrave
enoughtotakecudgels.Manyofthemareilliterate,buttheyarecourageousandethical.Itisfrighteningbecausethisis
notaresultoftraditionorlackofexposurealone,butofimpunityfromaccountability.Literacyhasnotchangedthe
balanceofpower.Itisunquestionedpowerthatfloutsgoodgovernance.
IrememberBeelan,65,scoffingatme35yearsagosayingIhadnakal(copyingbywriting)whereasshehadakal
(mind).Icouldnotrememberfiguresandmoneyspent,butmanyofmyilliteratefriendsremembereddetailstothe
lastpaisa.AweaverofIkatinOdishaisamathematiciannotonlyinsimplearithmeticbutintheintricateartof
dividingnumberstoformpatterns.Therearedifferentkindsofliteracyrequiredatdifferenttimes.Passingclass8,in
thiscase,ismoreforshowthansubstance.Thebureaucraticsystemneedstobereformedtoensureaccountabilityso
thatthereisaproperbalanceofpowerbetweenthetechnocraticexecutiveandtheelectedrepresentative.
Weneedschoolsfordemocraticliteracy,whichwillencourageaccountabilityinleadersandbolstercouragetoface
oppressionandinequality.Citizensneedopportunitiestospendtimeunderstandinggovernanceofbeingableto
identifyloopholesandhowtheycanbeplugged.Therequirementofaclass8certificatewillfurtherdenyaccessto
powerforthosewhoarelikelytodemanduniversalequalityofaccess.Ormaybethatistheintention.
ThecherryonthecakeisthattheStategovernmentaswellastheCentreproudlytoutformallearningasan
unnecessarycriterionforchoosingMinisters.Inreality,90percentoftheirworkisthroughthewrittenword,unlike
thatofthesarpanchwhodealswiththehumancondition.Thiscanonlypromptustosaywithirony,Democracyis
deadbutlongliveliteracy.
(ArunaRoyisasocialandpoliticalactivist,MazdoorKisanShaktiSangathan.Email:arunaroy@gmail.com)
IlliteracycancomefromignoranceofhighlyspecialisedmodesofgovernancewhichevenanM.A.
degreecannotaddress