FIVE POINT ‘SOMETHING’

As you come out of the theatres watching 3 Idiots there is ‘something’ that runs through your mind very seriously. It’s not about Chetan Bhagat the author of Five Point Some One, not given the credit for the story even thought about 70% of the book was adapted to make the movie. But it’s the same ‘something’ that would have gone through your mind after watching Taare Zamin Par too. This ‘something’ is nothing but the changes needed in the Education system of India. After exposing the bizarre pattern of education system followed in the schools in Taare Zamin Par, Aamir Khan is again in focus as he moves up the ladder in 3 Idiots to one of the finest and premier education institutions in India-The IIT’s and shows that it’s a giant machine to produce graduates with ISO certification with no place for humanness, talents, practical sense and creativity.

Together with flaws in the education system, the attitude of the parents who consider being an engineer (boys) and Doctor (girls) as the only option is also seriously questioned. As an Indian, the statistics of the number of graduating Indian Engineers and Doctors, their service around the globe is sure to bring cheers to our face. But among these graduates there are thousands who would have forgotten their throbbing desires of their heart, their innate talents in their chase to crack the Engineering or Medical test code. From the Kindergarten to the IIT’s children are brainwashed to hunt for these ‘only-worth-doing-jobs’ and even a passive thought about becoming a dancer, teacher, sports person or an actor is least entertained. In this process the children who go behind their innate talents are tagged as wretched idiotic creatures worthy to be dumped. The characters- Ishaan in Taare Zamin Par and Rancho in 3 Idiots sends out a strong message, the ones considered idiots do matter.

Quoting from a weekly paper for American School teachers, Thomas L. Friedman writes in his book The World is Flat: “In one of Chennai’s ubiquitous academic coaching classes, a hundred 12th graders are crammed into a purple room, about 30ft. Long and 25ft. Wide. The energy-sapping temperature is well over 100 degrees despite the constant whirr of the overhead fans. On a wooden dais, Muthukrishnan Arulselvan draws a triangle on a black board, marks angles inside it and explains a geometrical formula into microphone. The students listen, rapt, although it is nearly 10:00pm. When Mr. Arulselvan asks a question, the students rush to reply in chorus. When the tutor poses a problem they bury their heads in notebooks, chewing pencils, eager t finish before everyone else. This intensive, seven days a w eek class represents a life as usual for these Indian high schoolers who are hoping to earn an engineering slot at one of the college here in Chennai. In India putting child through engineering or medical colleges is for many middle class families a life’s mission in a way that is almost unknown in U.S. (pg. 213)

Mushrooming of Engineering and Medical coaching centre’s all through India shows that It’s not a Chennai-only-phenomenon. When most of the countries stress on the aptitude of students, in India, it is the parents not students who govern the aptitude. When all other aspects of human beings are made to take a back seat, for ‘academic excellence,’ 3 Idiots and Taare Zamin Par shows the alternative.

In Taare Zamin Par, by focussing on Ishaan Avasti, the boy suffering with dyslexia Aamir ridicules the attempt of the mad rat race of parents to get more out of their children. The artistic talent of the boy are cleverly forgotten by the parents and to raise intellectual gear, Ishaan is sent to hostel. Ram Shankar Nikumbh (Aamir) the arts teacher gets to know about his problem through his innovative approach and brings out the innate talent in him. The message Taare Zamin Par gives is loud and clear, there is no justification in making children mug up subjects. The humanness of the child, his ability to think creatively and work innovatively should never be questioned. There is no use for an education which makes the children forget about the beauty of stars, warmth of sunshine, soggy rain, and serene nature and make them concentrate on what stars are made of? How sunshine helps rain, how nature is being polluted and all the stuff that matters in academics. At the end of the day it’s the aesthetic and human aspect in child that suffers which Aamir explores in Taare Zamin Par and succeeds.

Aamir doesn’t stop with Taare Zamin Par and 3 Idiots can be considered as the second version of Taare Zamin Par from the education point of view. The story is shifted from school to the IIT, the dream destination of thousands of school children in India. Taking a dig at professors who are behind the bright students and not the creative students, even in IIT’s, Rancho (Aamir) shows an alternative by showing that it’s the practical sense that must prevail. This comes to the fore when he humbles his seniors when he is ragged or when Chatur, the brainy guy is made to make a serious speech the most hilarious one ever or when Aamir successfully performs a delivery for the professor’s daughter. By picturing the suicide of a creative young guy, who was denied graduation, for taking more time to complete an innovative research work also puts a big question mark on the Education system in India. ‘I quit’ the last words of that IITian makes us an indelible mark on our heart and makes us say, “Aal is izz not Well and It’s time to stop meddling about with children with this kind of education system.”

The undertone of both the movies is same. There are serious flaws in the Education system in India and the attitude of the parents. It’s high time that Aptitude and talents be given a place in the state of affairs. Here is my Five Point Something for Education of Gen X:

1. Make them sit on the desk
Well, not literally. It’s all about making students think out-of-the-box. To shake off the age old concepts and innovate new ones. To usher them to a new era powered by their own thinking and talents and being guided by the teacher.

2. Plug in the Earphones of nature
It’s a common sight to see guys and gals plugging the earphones and rocking with customised playlists but education should make them hear the sounds of nature, the gush of wind, the song of birds, the beauty of silence. This will not only remove the earphones but also will act as the warriors to preserve and protect environment.

3. Take off the Shoes
Taking off shoes would mean, to let the students feel the thousands of Indians who walk bare foot or who are underprivileged. The shoe of security that keeps the young minds aloof from the lower strata has to be removed. Let the Gen next take up the responsibility to bring them up and not National Rural Employment Guarantee act alone (NREGA) alone.

4. Unfold the Incredible India
The number of students geared up to go in search for jobs abroad is on the rise. Why do the best minds go out? The Incredible sight of India must be revealed to Indian students first and not foreigners. The rich cultural heritage, the genius men who were born on this land, the dedication of the soldiers in the borders, the farmers who work in fields, the officers doing high rank jobs and the like has to be opened up before students so that young men will feel proud of our country and won’t have a mind to say Al Vida.
5. Make them Ragging/Bullying Resistant
It’s not by issuing a notice of do’s and don’ts but by making them put up a fight by using their grey matter as Rancho (Aamir) does in 3 Idiots. The senior guy who pisses in Rancho’s door got the taste of the fact that saline water is a good conductor of electricity. It’s the practical sense that matter, wherever you are, whether you are ragged in college or bullied at office.

The education system of India, which draws flak from the movies 3 Idiots and Taare Zamin Par has a long way to go. Let bygones be bygones but the Five point ‘Something’ has to be debated and incorporated in the Education system so that and Indian Children or youth will always have a smile on the face, love in their hearts and sharpness in their intellect along with their degrees.