Now, RSS to organize interface for discussing 'nationalistic education'

NAGPUR: Even before dust has settled on ‘dump German for Sanskrit ‘ campaign in Kendriya Vidyalayas, the RSS has now started another move for conceptualizing ‘nationalist education’ in the country. It has roped in little-known Ahmedabad based Punorutthan Vidyapeeth (Revival University) to organize a two-day interface with academicians, scholars, researchers and those working in the field of education at its Reshimbagh facility here.
While 250 intellectuals, including eight vice-chancellors of universities across the country, professors and those working in the education field are expected to attend the two-day deliberations, RSS sarsanghachalak Mohan Bhagwat will be addressing them on the opening day on Tuesday. Other top RSS functionaries like Suresh Soni, Aniruddha Deshpande and representatives of pro-RSS organizations Sanskrit Bharti, Vidya Bharti, Bharatiya Shikshan Mandal, Sahishik Mahasangh, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, Rashtra Sevika Samiti (women’s wing of RSS) will be prominently present at the interface.
The move assumes importance with the BJP government at the Centre giving total access to the RSS and facilitating meetings with all ministries at the Centre for policy direction in recent times. For ages, the RSS had been holding the grouse that the country is still continuing with the education system that was formulated during British era by Lord Macaulay who only wanted to create a force of subservient manpower for the English who ruled the country.
Vidyapeeth convener Indumati Katdare, addressing mediapersons here on Monday, denied there was any move to ‘saffronise’ education. “This is a venture of Punorutthan Vidyapeeth which is dedicated to establishing an education system in the country based on pure Indian ancient knowledge base,” she said. She also said there was no attempt to force the government at the Centre or states to toe the line of Vidyapeeth. “Nationalistic education, hurdles in its way, and various aspects of nationalism in academic arena will be deliberated upon,” said Katdare, who has worked closely in the past with the currently prime minister Narendra Modi.
During Vajpayee regime, a similar move to reconstruct history on nationalist lines by the then HRD minister Murli Manohar Joshi had attracted more brickbats than bouquets. But with the first-ever BJP majority government at the Centre now, the RSS is hoping to muscle its way through this time round.