Training the untrained

Moulding the young and growing members in a family, beginning even before the teenage stage, into a versatile adult, strong both physically and mentally, to take on the challenges of life, to imbibe virtues of serving society without self-interest, to take on the duties of the family from where the elders have left and so on is narrated extensively both in the texts of the land’s epics and also novels scripted by ancient authors of the land. One such narrative featured in the 7th century romantic novel by the noted Sanskrit prose writer and poet Banabhatta, who was the royal poet (Asthana Kavi) in the court of King Harsha Vardhana, who reigned during 606-647 AD from Kannauj in North India, serves as an example of the King’s comprehensive advisory to the Prince. Needless to mention that this practice of timely guiding of the youngsters by the elders is interwoven into the land’s culture over centuries past, but not much evident in our times.

Keeping august company with the elders in the family in the not too long past years have been teachers playing the role of mentors of their student fraternity. Names of Dattareya Ramachandra Bendre (1896-1981) of Dharwad and M.Venkata Krishnaiah (1844-1933) of Mysuru, remembered as Thathaiah, flash across our mind in a long list of legendary teachers.

History is replete with past episodes of unrest and even bloodshed in the wake of intrigues whenever power was wrenched to rule the regions such as the various kingdoms across the Indian sub-continent. To cut a long story short, no such perceptible restive or tense scenes were witnessed in the land among the top brass who led the country’s take over for self-rule from colonial rule seven decades ago. Names of the netas that made it possible are still remembered by public speakers on important occasions such as celebration of Independence Day and Republic Day. Every one of them owe it to their teachers and elders in the family for the spirit of statesmanship and moral character, their unfailing guiding principles. What has happened in later years, particularly nowadays, testifying the idiom “power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely” doesn’t need to be elaborated.

In the foregoing context, the announcement, appearing in a section of the press, of a major political party launching a drive to train elected members may prompt one to take a pot shot at the proposed measure as a case of training by, of and for the untrained. Maybe, even untrainable in a democracy by some people, of some people and for some people.