তারাশঙ্করের ‘গুরুদক্ষিণা’ উপন্যাসে প্রতিফলিত ঔপনিবেশিক শিক্ষাব্যবস্থার সংকট ও শিক্ষক সমাজের কঠিন বাস্তবতা/ The Crisis of the Colonial Education system and The Harsh reality of the Teacher Society reflected in Tarashankar's novel ‘Gurudakshina’

Abstract

Our land of India is one of the original educational areas of the world. In this land, since ancient times, sages have been educating the younger generation. Later, this education went beyond the free environment of the ashram and was confined within the narrow confines of the four walls of the school. There was a radical change in the education system. In colonial India, the education system took a new turn. Crossing the boundaries of religion, philosophy and scripture, the common people focused on logic and argument, knowledge and science. Modernity touched their lives. The conflict between the old and the new began. Although the education system changed, the lifestyle of teachers did not change. Under the pressure of colonial rule, teachers did not get any opportunity to express their independent views. Teaching there had become only a means of earning a living. As a result, the real purpose of ideal teaching had been weakened to a large extent. However, there were some exceptional teachers who, despite enduring various forms of life-pains, suffering, injustice, and neglect, remained steadfast in their goal of changing society. They only gave to society, but received nothing in return. Society did not give them even the minimum respect. Novelist Tarashankar Bandyopadhyay has presented the life story of such a struggling teacher in his novel ‘Gurudakshina’ (1966). He has depicted the character of Chandrabhushan as a beacon of light in a degraded society. Chandrabhushan has shown the path to society by carrying the burden of education on his shoulders throughout his life. In return, he received disrespect and neglect. Tarashankar has presented the tragic story of a teacher's tormented life through his writings in the novel under discussion. Chandrabhushan has given his all to make students human beings. In return, he received a lot of deprivation, pain, contempt, and humiliation as Gurudakshina. This disrespect and suffering of teachers like Chandrabhushan is a long-standing problem of modern society. No one can say when this problem will be overcome. However, the ideal teacher class does not give priority to this problem. They dream of forming ideal students, forming an ideal society; because only an ideal student can bring about the intellectual and cultural development of a society.