Gulati, N. (2018). Aankhein Munde Kabutar: Yaunikta ki Abhivyati. Paathshala-
Bheetar aur Baahar,1 (1): 43-55.
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The paper begins with a discussion on a July 2017 incident of a young boy being restricted from sitting in class XII boards post his hugging a peer in the school. The ensuing discussion in the media did not touch upon the possibility of sexual expression as part of the developmental path during adolescence. Separation of sexual assault and harassment from natural expression is important but is absent from popular consciousness.
Tracing the history of sexuality in India, Gulati writes that between 2nd and 4th century, sexuality (kaama) was considered important in life along with religion (dharma) and money (artha). Sexuality and morality were not considered opposing (Kakar, 2016). The divide between sexuality and religion was also not evident. It is in the middle ages that greater restrictions on sexuality were applied, across various religions. The emphasis on brahmacharya or celibacy has been also led to the emphasis on asexuality. The paper goes on to trace the history of development of laws around sexual consent, education, and the shift on emphasis in academic discourse from understanding childhood.
As children grow up, the understanding of sexuality runs alongside the understanding of gender. Make believe games that include acting as adults encompass exploring one’s bodies. Tracing the history of childhood indicates that childhood was not always considered an asexual stage marked with ‘innocence’. Such an interpretation has been highlighted since the 14th century. Contemporary times have reconceptualised childhood sexuality as a response to early exposure to media. The notion of exposure is also seen as interlinked with social class and parenting practices.
In the concluding discussion, focus has been placed on teacher education. The first step in this direction is for teachers to develop awareness of one’s own perceptions. Teacher education maintains a silence on such issues in its curriculum. Children are considered asexual and any sign of sexuality is considered an indication of danger. Classrooms are thus conceptualised as spaces based on restriction. Teachers thus need to develop the ability to identify situations that require more serious thought and action
and where situations only comprise of developmental indicators. The paper concludes with suggestions for teachers and teacher education.
Prof. Nidhi Gulati teaches in the Department of Elementary Education at the Institute of Home Economics, University of Delhi.
Paathshala – Bheetar aur Bahar (literally translated as School- Inside and Outside) is a quarterly Journal published by Azim Premji University. It publishes papers in Hindi in the field of education and the experiences of teachers. For more details, visit the journal page here.