Patriotism... huh

No more "Twinkle Twinkle" in MP schools!

Apparently, the famous "twinkle twinkle" rhyme has been removed from the primary school syllabus of Madhya Pradesh.
I have only one thing to say to this: how utterly ridiculous !
Not only is it preposterous to remove something that is no longer "western" but indeed an international rhyme from the school syllabus - it is also stupid to assume that anything not written/sung/spoken in the national/local language is a danger to our society and its values - is our great culture so weak that it cannot withstand the challenge of a mere rhyme?

This falls in line with the new wave of nationalism that is overtaking the decisions of the Indian government - exemplified by the numerous changes to city names. Apart from the fact that it has been pointless (for example, no true Bangalorean will ever refer to home as Bangaluru...), it is also imprudent and regressive. So the British came up with these names. What of it? Are we trying to deny the occupation of India for 300 years? Are we trying to rewrite, erase or simply ignore history?

Patriotism is all very well, and I urge the government to introduce more rhymes and literature in Indian languages to instil a sense of national pride in students - but surely this should be accompanied by the teaching of English rhymes and literature, not at its expense. India has such a strong competitive advantage in its talented english-speaking workforce - surely we do not want to undo a process of assimilation that has brought us so much success?

Globalisation is here my friends, whether we like it or not. In a world that is fast losing its frontiers - it is foolish and counter-productive to be erecting walls against the rest of the world. Everybody's on the express route to development and wealth - so why is this carriage moving the other way?

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