Binary Thinking Of The British Colonists And Macaulay Education

By Author: Chaitanya Kumari
Total Articles: 238
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The Europeans, including the British, are generally guilty of ‘binary thinking’ where they conclude that things are just good or bad. They refuse to admit that there can also be something that is ‘in between.’ So, it can be said that, for them, everything is either ‘totally black’ or ‘completely white,’ and they don’t accept the possibility of ‘gray.’

It’s the view of the British that anything that does not conform to their ideology or clashes with their interests has to be discarded or destroyed. It can never have any positive aspect. It’s this particular line of thought that led to the introduction of Macaulay’s education in India.

There have been several instances that highlight the binary thinking of the British. When the Anglican Church dissociated from the Roman Catholic Church, things became terrible for the adherents of Catholicism in Great Britain.

The Anglican Church combines elements from Catholic Church and Protestanism. The Protestant Calvinists in England called the Puritans, as they opposed the accommodation to Catholic practices. This was not appreciated in England ...
... by the King and the Church of England. Several stringent restrictions were enforced on them and the Puritans were persecuted. Eventually, they left Great Britain and migrated to the USA ready to face the unknown new world rather than live in persecution in England.

This persecution of Catholic and especially the harsh persecution of Puritan Protestant Christians reflects the binary thinking of the Colonial era British ruling class. They go against people or institutions that don’t adhere to their dictates. They automatically become ‘black.’

It was this very mindset that led the British to implement policies aimed at destabilizing the traditional education system in India during the nineteenth century. The British believed that the this traditional bharatiya educational system could undermine their control. As a result, they labeled it ‘backward’ and strategically replaced it with the Macaulay System of Education. Unfortunately, the Macaulay system continues to be followed in India even today.

In this regard, the most disturbing facet is that even the Indians educated under the Macaulay system have adopted the same binary thinking. They also lose no opportunity to belittle the ancient Indian education system. These ‘educated’ Indians are blinded by their ‘English education.’ They are so unwilling to recognize the value of India’s ancient education system. They think that it is just ‘black.’

It can be said without hesitation that ‘Macaulay-educated’ Indians have not only continued to study the British inspired curriculum in schools and colleges, but they have also adopted the ‘British arrogance.’ ‘Humility’ is a concept foreign to these educated individuals, yet it was an essential aspect of our traditional education system.

The fact that these knowledgeable Indians enjoy professional success does not justify their biased attitude from binary thinking.

In addition, the products of Macaulay education need constant validation of westerners and have no spine of their own. If something is of Western origin, it is undoubtedly superior. In the same way, if a thing fails to receive the validation of any qualified Westerner, it carries no value. With this mindset, it’s unsurprising that they fail to see the great ideas that were part of Bharatiya education.

These educated folks point out that corruption in India has reached alarming levels. Little do they realize that the seeds of corruption, as we see it today, were sown almost two hundred years ago with the Macaulay system. Some of these misguided individuals even justify the British, citing concepts like ‘survival of the fittest.’ This, too, is a result of that English education, which promotes binary thinking.

It is not just the English-educated people living in India who stick to that erroneous viewpoint. An overwhelming majority of the Indian diaspora display the same kind of thinking despite their first hand exposure by living in western countries.

The binary thinking of the British colonists and the unfettered continuity of that system has lead to many defects in current India. Tragically, it has devalued India’s rich scientific, logical education system and cultural heritage. Further, it has perpetuated a legacy of arrogance and deep seated bias among many Indians educated under this system. This needs an urgent course correction.

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