Finding itself under attack from all quarters for its manifesto's "opposition" to English education and computers,the Samajwadi Party was on the backfoot on Sunday,at pains to underline that it was not against their use but that they should not be made compulsory. "The SP is for a common education system that provides access to similar quality of education to all, irrespective of their caste,religion or income status. This means abolishing the dichotomy of expensive English-medium schools and affordable vernacular schools. This doesn't mean the SP is against the English language," SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav's son Akhilesh told The Indian Express over phone from Lucknow. Mulayam himself clarified that he was not against education in English,when it was pointed out that his son had studied in a convent school. But he insisted that it "should not be compulsory in offices",whether government or private. "I am not against English but its use should not be a compulsion. It should not be compulsory in public life," he said in Lucknow. Criticising the manifesto,released by Mulayam in Lucknow on Saturday,the Congress and BJP accused the SP of dragging India into the Stone Age. Campaigning in Amethi,Priyanka called it a "strange manifesto in the 21st century" and wondered whether the person who drafted it was serious. SP general secretary Amar Singh said they were not opposing the use of computers,but that these should not lead to a loss of jobs. "We have said that those who do not get equal opportunity should not have English as a compulsion. And computers should remain but should not replace human workforce," Singh told reporters in Patna. Elaborating,Akhilesh said: "See,the SP's argument is that the prevalence of English in education,administration and courts has been against the interest of the common man,and we still stand by it. How can one justify imposing English as the language of administration or of courts in UP,where a majority doesn't know this language? It will never serve the desired purpose,everybody would agree. That's what our argument is." On the SP's reported stand against computers and machines,Akhilesh said his father's stand was based on the reality of the state where traditional labour-intensive crafts like making of carpets and bangles,the bronze industry,handlooms etc provide employment. "These are all labour-intensive industries,and these industries also need to be protected. This is the thrust of the SP chief's statement and the SP will continue to protect these jobs. There is no opposition to computers per se." "This doesn't mean that we are against IT-based education and -industry or other industries. Other industries are very welcome,but not at the cost of these labour-intensive industries," he said. Taking a dig at other parties,Akhilesh added: "Even Gandhiji had said that what could be done through human labour should be done for employment generation. While the BJP called the manifesto that "of a party living in the 19th century while the youthful nation is aspiring and beckoning to lead the world in the 21st",Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi asserted that "a manifesto like this which seeks to drag India into the Stone Age must be condemned and rejected". Asked to comment on the SP manifesto while campaigning at a village in Amethi,Priyanka said: "Rajivji did not have a narrow vision. They have a narrow viewpoint. If they think they would derive tangible benefit by ending computer education,they will need to do a rethink." (With PTI)
