SPIRITED ADDRESS: Activist Medha Patkar addressing members of the National Alliance of People's Movement at St. Joseph's College of Arts and Science in Bangalore on Monday. — Photo: K. Bhagya Prakash

BANGALORE: For most students gathered at St. Joseph's College of Arts and Science here, social activist Medha Patkar was an icon of the people's movements symbolised by the Narmada Bachao Andolan. But on Monday, Ms. Patkar was not going to speak about her experiences. She wanted students to inculcate values and be sympathetic and support people's struggles across the country.

Many students were getting exposed to voices from areas of struggle, perhaps for the first time. But Ms. Patkar wanted them to be pro-active and visit the affected people to add value to their education.

Biased judgements

The present education system, Ms. Patkar noted, depends on textbooks that have biased judgments. For proof, she listed primary school textbooks that do not list casteism as a vice. "Teachers can be judges. But students can judge too. Mere transmission of information is not education," she said, reiterating the need to be more open to alternatives.

The commercialisation and corporatisation of education, she noted, is causing changes. There is a need to question assumptions and claims of corporate organisations that they are generating employment and developing the nation. Corporate organisations will talk about the number of jobs created; but will they talk about the number of jobs lost owing to them? she wondered. A political movement, she told the students, does not mean electoral politics alone. "There are movements outside what you see as electoral politics."

Intelligentsia

Ms. Patkar spoke about the merits of bringing the intelligentsia into the field of action. But it requires lectures, hours of interaction and explanations. She admitted that such talks are less productive compared to the time spent with tribal people, with the working class and the underprivileged struggling for their rights. But the intelligentsia matters as the critical support of the middle classes is necessary for any movement.

Without interactions, the struggles of the downtrodden, the unorganised sector and the poor will be distanced from the middle class. This is why talks by people with experience about issues related to people's survival are necessary. "That cannot be pompous," Ms. Patkar said.

It also requires courage and commitment, she said. "Launching a movement means striking at a target," she said, speaking about her struggle against adversaries in power.

The talk was organised by the National Alliance of People's Movements.

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