Eklavya: The Forgotten Hero
Eklavya stands as one of the most remarkable disciples in Indian lore — a figure often overlooked in mainstream narratives. Unfortunately, a recurring issue among modern Indians is our limited familiarity with our own history and classical texts. Few today truly understand the essence of the gurukul or ashram system. Yet history provides identity, direction, and moral anchoring. Our current cultural disorientation stems from our disconnection with our past, leading us to view the world solely through a Western lens.
India possesses countless heroes, thinkers, and pioneers, but we frequently fail to acknowledge them. While learning foreign languages such as French is admirable, our priority should be to reconnect with Sanskrit — the linguistic and philosophical foundation of our civilization. A society that feels embarrassment toward its own ancestors forfeits both pride and conscience, especially when those ancestors embodied courage and virtue.
History is our guiding star — the light that prevents national darkness. Without it, we drift in confusion, like an oarless boat in turbulent waters, destined to capsize.
Modern education has become mechanistic; we produce memorizing machines rather than creative thinkers. As Azim H. Premji notes in The Weight of Wings, we need an educational reform that encourages free thought, not rote learning.
Our social psyche remains trapped in colonial patterns — driven by fear, conformity, and a narrow obsession with job security. True progress requires embracing innovation, interdisciplinarity, and courage to explore unconventional domains such as robotics and AI.
Sadly, our ideals have shifted from moral leaders like Gandhi Ji to ephemeral celebrities. Eklavya, millennia ago, demonstrated that idealism is the essence of humanity. Reviving this spirit in education and society is not a choice — it is a necessity.
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