Shri Manish Sisodia has penned a letter to the nation from Tihar Jail. In it, he questions why leaders who have attained positions of power have not established excellent schools and colleges for the youth of the country. He ponders on why education has always been sidelined, despite its critical importance. “If politics had devoted its resources and energy towards education, every child in our nation would have had access to quality schools like developed countries,” he wrote.
Now, while in jail, Shri Manish Sisodia reflects on the answers to his questions. He explains that when politicians achieve success by running jails, they have no incentive to prioritise education.
According to Shri Sisodia, it’s easier to silence dissent by imprisoning critics than to establish quality educational institutions for all children in the country. “In Uttar Pradesh, a folk singer who expressed dissent was threatened with imprisonment by the government. Similarly, when a Congress spokesperson used a term that referenced Modi ji, police in two states apprehended him like a movie scene. The reason Arvind Kejriwal ji is considered a criminal is because he has introduced a new form of politics that challenges Modi ji’s approach. As a result, two members of Kejriwal’s government are currently imprisoned,” he wrote.
He writes that the picture is visible, clear as day. “Politics of Jail boosts the power of the ruling leader. However, the issue with the politics of education is that it empowers the nation, not the individual leader,” he added. He said that if every child, regardless of their family background, receives education and becomes a responsible citizen, the country will progress. “Fortunately, during this period of freedom, the country has two contrasting political approaches- politics of jail and politics of education. As a result, it’s clear to the nation which approach benefits the individual leader and which benefits the country as a whole,” he said.
Shri Manish Sisodia compared the politics of prison and education in the country. He stated that the politics of education is a challenging task, unlike the politics of prison, which can be done by pressuring four officers of the investigating agency. “In education, it takes a lot of effort to motivate children, parents, and teachers. In contrast, in prison politics, it is easy to pressure investigating agencies to send someone to jail. However, this approach does not work in the politics of education. Teachers cannot be forced to work under pressure or intimidation. They need respect and love to perform their duties efficiently. Leaders have always found it easier to achieve success in prison politics than in the politics of education,” he said.
He noted that the politics of education is gaining popularity among voters in the country. “The success of education in Delhi has influenced the voters of Punjab, who voted for better education, government schools, and colleges. Non-BJP, non-Congress state governments have started to learn from each other’s experiences and experiments on education. Even BJP-ruled states, with poorly managed government schools, have started advertising education on TV. The leaders know that once education becomes a national priority, the politics of jails will be marginalised, and jails will start closing down,” he said.
He concluded that he believes that India’s future lies in the politics of education, not in the politics of jail. He emphasised that education and politics are interconnected and that India will emerge as a world leader not through the strength of its jails, but through the strength of its education system. Despite the current dominance of the politics of jail in Indian political discourse, Shri Manish Sisodia is hopeful that education will take the lead in the future.
