Educating Sita

• The NCERT plans to introduce modern cinema as educational tools in schools to teach socio-political subjects
  
• Some schools have begun screening films on an experimental basis since January
  
• Socially relevant films like Garam Hawa and Haqeeqat are shortlisted
  
• Educationists believe students get a clearer picture of social issues when they see a good film on it

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"The West has used cinema to impart knowledge about a certain period in the past. What could take many months of lectures can be easily communicated through a film. So the political science department at NCERT decided to experiment with this," says lecturer Dr Malla V.S.V. Prasad. "It’s not compulsory as there are no examination questions based on this, but it’s up to schools, teachers and students to take the initiative to use the reference material." In fact, schools have been screening films since January on an experimental basis.

Points out Yogendra Yadav of the CSDS, who was part of the committee that prepared the text: "We want to prepare students as citizens of this country and as future students of political science. We did not want to put in too many facts or figures and encourage cramming, so we thought of introducing modern Indian cinema as it is both political and modern. Personally, I still remember the impact of the film Garam Hawa. I had read about the Partition but it completely changed my views when I watched the story of a post-Partition Muslim family. That’s the sort of thing that touches you so when students watch the film and then read about it, it adds to their perception of events. Aakrosh introduced me, an urban dweller, to what it meant to be an adivasi."

Of the nine chapters in the class XII political science text book, eight have a movie suggestion. The 1973 Garam Hawa is featured in the chapter on ‘Challenges of Nation Building’. The Balraj Sahni-starrer Haqeeqat (1964) based on the 1962 Sino-Indian war, which portrays the struggle of a small group of Indian soldiers, is part of ‘India’s External Relations’. The Amitabh Bachchan-blockbuster Zanjeer that depicts the struggle of an innocent police officer against the system is included in ‘Challenges of Restoration of the System’.

Regional films too have been featured on the list. Marathi film Simhasan, for instance, addresses the politician-criminal nexus and Tamil film Roja is suggested to help understand the Kashmir issue. Of the more recent films, Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi addresses the Naxalite issue. The Om Puri and Naseeruddin-starrer Aakrosh, a powerful tale of exploitation and miscarriage of justice, and the Satyajit Ray classic Pather Panchali, a portrait of life rich in experience, but lived amid poverty, are under ‘Politics of Planned Development’.

On the committee that formulated this film package two years ago are Hari Vasudevan of Calcutta University, Suhas Palishkar of Pune University and Yogendra Yadav. Most schools are now aggressively pursuing the new technique, which in its trial phase found few takers. "It’s a difficult job to screen these films as not all schools have the facilities. We have recommended that when these films are being shown on television, teachers should inform the students so that they can watch them," says Dr Prasad.