Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu recently shared a profound personal anecdote, detailing how a Marxist school teacher influenced him as a teenager, briefly turning him into a Marxist and an atheist. Vembu's reflections came in response to author Shefali Vaidya's query regarding why children of conservative parents, including BJP leaders and RSS volunteers, often develop ideological views divergent from their upbringing.
Early Education and Ideological Shifts
Vembu recounted his schooling, noting he attended a free government-aided school started by a DMK-affiliated individual for classes 6 to 9, where he observed no DMK messaging. He later moved to another free school for classes 10 to 12, funded by an RSS-affiliated person with an RSS member as a trustee. Despite this, Vembu stated he learned nothing about the RSS during his time there.
However, it was in his 10th standard that a Marxist Tamil teacher made a significant impact. "His entire class was about the coming Marxist revolution... For a period I became a Marxist and atheist thanks to him. I was 14," Vembu wrote, highlighting the teacher's lasting influence.
Questioning Authority: The Turning Point
The teacher encouraged critical thinking, which eventually led Vembu to question the practicalities of a Marxist revolution. He posed a direct question: "Sir, when the revolution comes, and everything is owned by the government, would everything become corrupt like the electricity board or the telephone department?"
Vembu recalled the teacher's response: "After the revolution, people will develop socialist consciousness, and so everything will work better." This answer failed to satisfy Vembu, leading him to reject Marxism. Despite this, the teacher's influence on his atheism persisted for many years. Vembu also noted his mother, while blaming the teacher, still emphasized the importance of respecting one's guru.
Weaponized Education and Parental Concerns
Vembu observed that conservative parents often face a scenario where "their very respect for the educational system has been weaponised by the Marxists." He underscored the irony that a Marxist teacher could freely indoctrinate students like him in a school with an RSS trustee, where no RSS ideology was ever discussed. This experience, Vembu suggested, illustrates the ideological battle between the right and the left and sheds light on why younger generations sometimes adopt contrasting political beliefs.