A Fusion of ideas..

When Sister Nivedita was introduced to Swami Vivekananda, he found her as one with a great vision on education. Vivekananda firmly believed that the development and awakening of India depended mainly on the awakening of masses and particularly of the women who had been marginalized for a long time. And he believed that their development could be achieved only through education. It is for this purpose he called upon Nivedita to devote herself to the field of education, in particular female education in India. After the premature death of Swamiji, Sister Nivedita started focusing more on women education. It is clear that to Sister Nivedita nothing was more important than proper education. In her speech given on the occasion of the opening of Chaitanya Library, Nivedita submitted a long list of subjects which must be studied. The list included such subjects as ancient and modern history, archaeology, poetry, novels, and different branches of science, sociology, art-architecture-sculpture, religion and philosophy. This awe-inspiring list vindicates Nivedita's own vast erudition and learning. She also explained in her speech why all these must be studied with equal attention.

When India was mired with the education which the colonial powers imposed on it, Sister Nivedita believed that the ideal of education must be in line with ideal of the nation. Since the British education was bent on alienating our people from their roots and denationalizing them, she wanted an education which would bring out the glorious cultural heritage of our nation. And she wanted that education to combine the best of both ancient and modern world. She also wanted this education to reach the men who are in the lowest ebb of the society. In this context we must read her thoughts which were as follows "We all know that the future of India depends, for us, on education. Not that industry and commerce are unimportant, but because all things are possible to the educated, and nothing whatever to the uneducated man. We know also that this education, to be of any avail, must extend through all degrees, from its lowest and humblest grades. We must have technical education, and we must have also higher research, because technical education, without higher research, is a branch without a tree, a blossom without any root. We must have education of women, as well as education of men. We must have secular education, as well as religious. And almost more important than any of these, we must have education of the people, and for this, we must depend upon ourselves."

A fusion of oriental and occidental, which gives a character making education is what she dreamt of. That could be ideal education for our nation where millions are still groping with an education which seldom helps in their self-unfoldment.

V.V.Balasubramanian

YB-ET