Gurudev Ke Saath

Author(s): Gurdial Mallikji, Pratap J Tolia, Sumitra P Toliya
Publisher: Vardhaman Bharati International Foundation

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"My dear son! I can visualise that within thirty years, there will be such a school existing and blooming over here where there will be the atmosphere of Joy & Freedom. I shall not be alive then, but I have confidence that you will be able to accomplish that task".
There is a background behind Ravindranath's above thought of opening a school. He had himself to study in a prison-like school, where the child was being caned for looking at the Rainbow in the sky outside the window! We should seriously bear in mind that by suppressing the child's SENSE OF WONDER, a great aspect of Education remains unfulfilled. Child Ravindra had a big attraction towards the Nature, he had inquisitiveness.
Poet Tagore started Shantiniketan in 1910 A.D. (after 30 years as his far-sighted, departed father. had visualised) with three students. They used to sit below the tree. Gurudev himself used to teach (imparted learning instructions). Heart-touching was the Beauty of Nature. Atmosphere of Joy and Freedom prevailed. The number of students went on increasing gradually. How a teacher can handle more than ten students? The teacher has to undergo strenuous seekings for the overall development of the child and there is a limit of the energy to undertake such seekings for preparation. From this point of view, more teachers were assigned teaching work in Shantiniketan. Here there was LINKING UP between all the subjects. Medium of instruction was Mother tongue. To think of Mother tongue as teaching-medium before fifty years from now in 1960 A.D.) was like domesday!! The Government will become suspicious tremendously. The British Government then sent C.I.D in Shantiniketan, suspecting: "whether the Bombs are not being prepared over there?" But all was quite open there! No lock was here either on the Door or on the Box!! "Come and see"---The Government was told and the C.I.D ran away only within six months!!!
There was no Prospectus of the institution in the beginning. If someone will ask: "Mr. Tagore, what is your aim?"
Gurudev inter-connectionly will reply: "I have to deal with LIFE and LIFE grows".
The growing buds of the seed cannot be compelled to dictate that grow and expand your branches in particular directions only! THE SEED FOLLOWS ITS OWNWAY OF GROWTH". Here, the lamps of Humanity were to be lit in the children. Educationists coming from Abroad were also asking: "What is the aim of Shantiniketan?" Gurudev used to reply: "IT IS TO MAKE THEM GODCONSCIOUS".
· But, to make them God-conscious, no MANTRA was being taught here. Only one SADHANA was being taught: FIFTEEN MINUTES' SILENCE in the mornings and evenings daily. In the beginning the child may be bored probably and may like to play mischief. But where he will go to play mischief? With whom he will do so? There was tremendously supporting influence of the Nature. Because of this the child himself was being activated to know the Self (ATMA).
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