Jernail Singh Anand - Teaching human relations to young students
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TEACHING HUMAN RELATIONS TO YOUNG STUDENTS
Dr Jernail Singh Anand
I am often intrigued when I see we teach a thousand things to our growing generations, but conveniently ignore what they need most. It is training in human relations. If at all there is a mention of human relations, it is in the context of business oneupmanship. I think it is not irrelevant in the present context to discuss the introduction of Human Relations as a compulsory subject, like History and Culture in educational syllabus.
Our courses teach only those subjects or arts by which students can get jobs. If they are in a University for 8 years getting a doctoral degree, it is a dry patch, in which human relations are put on the back burner. Parents wait at home while students stay in hotels. Everything is not all well here because students are starved of family affection, and they often fall into relationships, which end up in heartbreaks telling upon their performance in studies.
NOT MONEY, BUT HOW WE USE IT
For a man, to get training for a job is only one aspect of his life. Money is a necessary part of our living. But, what is important is what we make of the money that we get from our salaries, and how we live. These things are nowhere taught in Universities. After you get a job, you have to get married, and then, you beget children. You have parents also. How to get along all this? The boy and the girl, both need this training in human relations which is at present missing and the result is before us: A society tattered from outside and its inside.
WHAT REMAINS TO BE TAUGHT
Here is what I think they need to be taught, in addition to training for jobs, which can help them lead happy lives, because ultimately it is for our happiness that finally matters.
It is important to teach how to live in a social group, family and in society. At present, what is taught by reflex action is the grab mentality. Improve yourself. Do everything for yourself. In this we don’t mind deceptions and corruptions of character. Boys and girls all through their university education, are trained for jobs, not how to lead their lives successfully.
THE BEAUTY OF GIVING, SHARING
It is here they need to be brought into the bright light of human relationship. They have to be taught the beauty of giving, sharing, and the joy that comes out of it. It is not without being useful to society in whatever way you have been equipped that you can expect to be ‘surkhroo’ in the eyes of God. Every sane person, who is given proper mental and moral training, at home and in the school knows, finally he is to confront God with his report card. There, if you want salvation, you have to do good while alive. This is what we call ‘Surkhroo’. I think this sense of being good and useful to society must be imparted to the students while they are getting training for jobs.
Second most important point is self-promotion. Our education system teaches them to promote their own career prospects. And compete for highest paid jobs. It is important at this stage to make them aware that self-promotion is good only if you do not bring any harm to others, and do not destroy the social fabric. If your growth harms the social structure, or any person near to you, it is unawarranted, and cannot be morally sustained. God won’t accept any pleas for mercy.
In fact, we need to cultivate an intrinsic sense of balance while interacting meaningfully with the people. We must know and grant what they deserve while being alive to our own rights. This balance needs to be struck between personal freedom and general good. We cannot pursue our personal goals if it imperils the idea of general welfare. I think this idea needs to be deeply ingrained in the consciousness of the upcoming citizens of this world.
I don’t think we want them to be saints. We only want them to be good human beings. They must know where the evil begins, and guard against these boundaries. When we die, every person has a wish he should be understood and remembered as a good person even if he committed wrongs in his life time.
Here are a few suggestions:
Share your bounties with the less blessed. If you have a package of say 5 lakh rupees a month, how much you need to live by? One or two lakhs at the most. The rest of the money will keep lying in the vaults of your banks. What is it doing there? Every such blessed person must identify a family which needs help to educate its sons and daughters, old men who are left alone and need emotional and medical care. Each middle class family, which wastes money on junk food, must adopt one orphan and take care of his education.
Such sharing and giving will not make anyone poor, but it will help the needy, people who have been marginalised and genuinely need help.
I believe this course will make us better human beings. Set the youth thinking about their duties as human beings. It will help in changing the flavour of life as a whole.
[Dr. Jernail Singh Anand is President of the International Academy of Ethics. With an opus of 180 plus books, he is Laureate of the Seneca, Charter of Morava, Franz Kafka and Maxim Gorky awards. His name adorns the Poets’ Rock in Serbia. Anand is a towering literary figure whose work embodies a rare fusion of creativity, intellect, and moral vision.Email: [email protected]]
