The hedge school vs the national school

[A Board of Education] inspector visiting a school in 1835 found out when examining the pupils that:

Amazed at the skill of the twelve year old boys in reading the new books, and considering the possibility that they were reciting from memory, I invited one of their number to read me a passage from the gospel of Saint Matthew. Evidently the child misunderstood me. He searched in his satchel until he found his tattered book, stood up, and proceeded to read me the account of Christ’s passion — in Greek (Local Ireland & Others 1999).

…

And not only was the teaching of Maths or the Classics gradually and systematically neglected from 1831 onwards, but the Board also promoted the teaching of new subjects like agriculture, domestic economy (for girls) or industrial instruction (for boys). These subjects were genuinely believed to be more adequate for the lower classes as the Commissioners clearly stated in their Fourth Report that the national school should aim at “bring forward an intelligent class of farm labourers and servants” (H.C. 1837-38: vol. XXVIII (110), 46). The patronizing opinion that certain academic standard among lower classes would only cause trouble was also shared by the Catholic hierarchy. Even Cardinal Cullen, though opposing the Commissioners and critical of their work, firmly believed that the basis of their plan was satisfactory. His letter to the Powis Commission is memorable in this respect:

I would teach the children to read and to write and to cipher as far as the rule of three and practice; and I would give them a practical and well founded knowledge of the doctrines and duties of religion and some little account of the history of the scriptures and the Church. I would not compel them to enter into discussions on grammar or the Greek roots or mammalia or marsupialia and other classes of animals and similar questions that are not necessary for the poor people. Too high an education will make the poor often times discontented and will unsuit them for following the plough or for using the spade or for hammering iron or building walls (Logan 1990: 130).

An Essential Picture in a Sketch-Book of Ireland: The Last Hedge Schools

Udham Singh motivations

Udham Singh (second from the left) being taken from 10 Caxton Hall after the assassination of Michael O’Dwyer.

On 1 April 1940, Udham Singh was formally charged with the murder of Michael O’Dwyer, and remanded in custody at Brixton Prison.

While in custody, he called himself “Ram Mohammad Singh Azad”: the first three words of the name reflect the three major religious communities of Punjab (Hindu, Muslim, and Sikh); the last word “azad” (literally “free”) reflects his anti-colonial sentiment.

When asked about his motivation, Singh explained:

I did it because I had a grudge against him. He deserved it. He was the real culprit. He wanted to crush the spirit of my people, so I have crushed him. For full 21 years, I have been trying to seek vengeance. I am happy that I have done the job. I am not scared of death. I am dying for my country. I have seen my people starving in India under the British rule. I have protested against this, it was my duty. What greater honour could be bestowed on me than death for the sake of my motherland?

Singh was convicted of murder and sentenced to death [hanged].

Following his conviction, he made a speech which the judge directed should not be released to the press.

He started the speech with a denunciation of British Imperialism:

I say down with British Imperialism. You say India do not have peace. We have only slavery Generations of so called civilisation has brought us everything filthy and degenerating. known to the human race. All you have to do is read your own history. If you have any human decency about you, you should die with shame. The brutality and blood thirsty way in which the so called intellectuals who call themselves rulers of civilisation in the world are bastard blood . . .

At this point he was interrupted by the judge, but after some discussion he continued: ‘I do not care about sentence of death. It means nothing at all. I do not care about dying or anything. I do not worry about it at all. I am dying for a purpose.’

Thumping the rail of the dock, he exclaimed, ‘We are suffering from the British Empire.’ Udham Singh continued more quietly.

I am not afraid to die. I am proud to die, to have to free my native land and I hope that when I am gone, I hope that in my place will come thousands of my countrymen to drive you dirty dogs out; to free my country.

I am standing before an English jury. I am in an English court. You people go to India and when you come back you are given a prize and put in the House of Commons. We come to England and we are sentenced to death.

I never meant anything; but I will take it. I do not care anything about it, but when you dirty dogs come to India there comes a time when you will be cleaned out of India. All your British Imperialism will be smashed.

Machine guns on the streets of India mow down thousands of poor women and children wherever your so-called flag of democracy and Christianity flies.

Your conduct, your conduct – I am talking about the British government. I have nothing against the English people at all. I have more English friends living in England than I have in India. I have great sympathy with the workers of England. I am against the Imperialist Government.

You people are suffering – workers. Everyone are suffering through these dirty dogs; these mad beasts. India is only slavery. Killing, mutilating and destroying – British Imperialism. People do not read about it in the papers. We know what is going on in India.

At this point the judge refused to hear any more, but Singh continued:

“You ask me what I have to say. I am saying it. Because you people are dirty. You do not want to hear from us what you are doing in India.

He then thrust his glasses back into his pocket, and exclaimed three words in Hindustani and then shouted:

“Down with British Imperialism! Down with British dirty dogs!”

He turned to leave the dock, spitting across the solicitor’s table.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Udham_Singh

Also:
https://www.revolutionarydemocracy.org/rdv2n2/singh.htm
http://www.panjab.org.uk/english/Udhtrial.html
https://www.counselmagazine.co.uk/articles/inquilab-the-last-words

https://www.sbs.com.au/language/english/remembering-shaheed-udham-singh-an-unsung-indian-freedom-fighter

 

We have a little library – George Thomson

Tomás Ó Criomhthain movitations

I wrote about our life so that it might be remembered somewhere.

I tried to convey the mind of our people so that a memento might remain

– because our like will never be here again.

Message to ABF from Nauru concentration camp

Hello my oppressors and heartless prison officers,

Hello again ABF,

Do you know me? I am the same suffering and miserable mother who repeatedly begged you to help. Frequently, I implored you to assist me. An ill mother who could not stand to see her children in this situation any more. Often, I told you and I wrote to you that my sons are depressed and exhausted ‘please help a sick and feeble mother’. But, instead of support, you replied that if I couldn’t tolerate it, I should return to my country.

Again I made a complaint to you and I wrote that after five years facing torture, I am not able to go back to my country. I asked you to please upgrade our tent as it might change my kids’ mood. Again you ignored me.

For five years you incarcerated me and my innocent children in Nauru and ignored us. I know that your violence and cruelty is deeply rooted and against that I am a powerless woman. You even deprived me from having a mobile phone, lest I speak up? But I always told you if any harm befell my children, I wouldn’t remain silent.

Since Friday, you have kept my son’s corpse in IHMS’s fridge, to look for his murderer? Since then, have you not smelled your own hands? My 26-year-old son had his last breaths in your mouldy tents and closed his beautiful eyes to your abomination, injustice, and disgusting policies. You even hesitate to provide him a bottle of cold water.

For five years, you tortured his athletic body under deadly heat. Now, you confiscated his dead body and keep him in a cold place. You don’t allow me to bury him and entrust him to eternal peace with his beautiful face and body.

I doubt if you are human! Where in the world would they keep a young corpse in the fridge for long time, inside a connex [container] near a place his mother is living? Are you even scared of our dead bodies? Do you hate us that much that you are afraid of us alive or dead? You still disrespect us.

I prop myself up until I bury my son’s body with respect otherwise all the world is meaningless for me and not worthy even to breathe. If you don’t want to have another corpse, lying next to my son, as soon as possible give me written permission to bury him anywhere except Nauru and Iran.

Fariborz’s mournful mother,

Fazileh Mansour Beigi

Slaughterhouse and torture house of Nauru

24/6/2018

Without a paddle

Lions and donkeys

There were “275,000 casualties lost overall to the armies under British command at Passchendaele. The Germans suffered another 220,000 killed and wounded. At the end, the point of it all was unclear. In 1918, all the ground gained there by the Allies was evacuated in the face of a looming German assault.

“A century later, the Battle of Passchendaele is remembered as a symbol of the worst horrors of the First World War, the sheer futility of much of the fighting, and the reckless disregard by some of the war’s senior leaders [read Butcher Haig] for the lives of the men under their command.”

http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/battle-of-passchendaele/

Macbook Pro A1278

http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/macbook_pro/specs/macbook-pro-core-2-duo-2.4-aluminum-13-mid-2010-unibody-specs.html

 

Rise of the Planet of the Plant Eaters

A Harvard Magazine piece on research being conducted by PhD Candidate Nina Gheihman, who is looking at the rise of veganism in France and Israel. Her website is here: https://scholar.harvard.edu/ninagheihman.

Knowing animals

A podcast blog by Siobhan O’Sullivan‏ featuring interviews with academics and animal advocates.

Leaping frog by Doc Hackenbush (https://twitter.com/DocHackenbush/status/727085994227408896)