Is it really GK?

The other day while teaching my six year old, her lesson in Social sciences, I came upon the general lesson in all Std one books, about the different communities in our country. Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, their places of worship, and their holy books. Attempting to make my inquisitive youngster memorize the details, I was suddenly stopped in my endeavour. "But mom, " she bombarded, "what are these?" I replied sheepishly,"religion" to which I was attacked,"what does that mean? What are we? What is the difference? How do we know who is whom? But we went to church from school, last year? What is my teacher?", the questions followed one after the other leaving me completely baffled on how to reply. This is the starting of studies, the onset of bookish education, where all I can tell my child is LEARN BY HEART. On what ground can we teach social discrimination and sow the seeds of communal differencess. With every passing year the details of this manifolds, and the need to score in exams pushes the students to mug up and cram whatever is printed. Do we as elders, whether parents or teachers really attempt to clarify the doubts arising in the young minds? After teaching discrimination, how can we preach unity, it is ironical and full of hypocrisy. "Aren't we all the same?" was another question asked by a Std one child in the school I run, to which the teacher casually replied, "Yes." The child continued,"Then why do we have different places of worship, is God different everywhere?" The teachers I have observed simply ignore and quiten the child. The curious young mind unsatisfied, seeks answers to his questions, and whatever reply he comes across, whether right or wrong, he accepts it. He grows up with his own imbibed train of thoughts and passes on the same to his offspring. Let us think....aren't we passing on the seed of communal discrimination oblivious of the consequences.