‘Discipline’ was a dreaded word in our school days. Teachers were very strict about our behaviour. In those days corporeal punishment was very normal. At home parents ensured that we followed a disciplined life.
Discipline was a set of do's and dont's. A disciplined life was considered a prescription for a healthy life and a healthy life was a happy life. Life was regulated. Good habit formation at a young age enabled a long life of good health.
But everything was imposed from outside. Home, school, parents, teachers, religious leaders, other instituitions of social life such as community and society prescribed a routine which was considered essential for a peaceful environment of coexistence.
We lived in harmony with the Nature, the environment and the society. Societal aspirations were given importance. The individual was a cog in the wheel. He had no personal freedom to pursue....
