Marxism 37 (education)

In my early teens I had very bad opinions about communists that they have no religion and no social familial morality. An since communists were "agents" of Russia hence hated it too. I did not know what I thought about them but knew that they are some kind of monster. No one told me explicitly any such thing but I acquired it through socialization. That is why I try t teach my students to shed the acquired morality and values and replace them by rational ones. But one of the visitors to my place in the village was a CPI(M) local leader but a very good and charming old man, Bhgavati Singh. I was quite impressed with his way of relating to people. Once I asked him that despite being such a wonderfully good person why he was a communist? It was summer of 1969, I was a 14 year old boy studying in X in a small city and had come home in vacations. When we were discussing a Musahar boy of around my age was sweeping and cleaning the leftover of the previous evening's feast. Mushar is considered to be lowest of low in the Hindu caste order. I did not know how much I had learnt from what he said but in retrospect I find him to be a very good teacher as for me a good teacher is one who keeps in mind the intellectual level of the student and his exposures. He asked pointing to the boy that if he would around my age. I confirmed. the he asked should all the boys of you age should study? Again I had to confirm, of course yes. He said that he was a communist because he wants that this boy too gets opportunity to be a student like me and all the children should get right and opportunity to education. And he was too good not despite but because of being a communist. We had a long discussion I do not remember much of it but I was feeling good as many other people. One lecture cant change the long acquired prejudices but my disliking for the word communist was diluted. At 18, I thought I was a Marxist without much knowledge of Marxism, without really knowing what imperialism; communalism; secularism; .... are. I still was a nationalist too without really knowing what the nationalism was except that Pakistan and China are enemies of the nation. It is only after being little better read in Marxism and experiences of various movements I realized that a worker like the capital has no nation and I am a worker.