In continuation of the “confidence building exercise” between the RSS and the Government, a range of Sangh-affiliated educational bodies would meet Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Smiriti Irani on Thursday to present their views for the Ministry.
The representatives of the Sangh-inspired educational institutions like Vidya Bharti, Bhartiya Shiksha Mandal, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad and Akhil Bharatiya Shaikshik Mahasangh (All India Teachers Union) and others would meet the Union Minister along with RSS leaders Suresh Soni, Krishna Gopal and Dattatreya Hosabale.
According to sources, the RSS-affiliated educational outfits, working in the field of education for several decades, have laid stress on “high moral values” in the education system, inculcating discipline and self-restraint along with academic knowledge. The Sangh educational organisations have spoken in favour a mix of modern and traditional knowledge with mother tongue being the basic medium of education.
In 1952, the first ‘Saraswati Shishu Mandir’ (nursery school) was founded by the RSS in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh. ‘Vidya Bharati’, is now an umbrella body for thousands of educational institutions, ranging from nursery to post-graduation level.
Sources said a similar meeting between the RSS leaders and the HRD Minister was held soon after the BJP took reins of Government at the Centre on May 26. “Views were exchanged between the two sides then too,” the sources pointed out.
RSS is strongly opposed to “continuation” of what it calls “educational system initiated by Macaulay with the motive of producing an army of ‘brown-skinned Englishmen’.” It is also against “looking at the West as pinnacle of civilisation”. According to the RSS, education should be able to build a National identity and character rooted in the native culture and what it says quoting Swami Vivekanand, “man-making”.
Thursday’s meeting follows a similar meeting of the Sangh-affiliated organisations working in the economic sectors on Tuesday with some Central Ministers and the BJP leaders to air their concerns over policies relating to FDI, intellectual property rights (IPR) in pharma sector, plight of sugarcane farmers, GM crops and labour issues.
The representatives of BMS, Kisan Sangathan, Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM)attended the meeting and asked the Government to not to hurry with the issues which could have “adverse impact” on the interests of the common people.
Tuesday’s meeting was attended by the Central Ministers Prakash Javadekar (Information and Broadcasting), Radha Mohan Singh (Agriculture), Narinder Singh Tomar (labour) and Piyush Goyal (Power).
These meetings are being seen as “the process of coordination” between the Government and the RSS where the Sangh-affiliated organisations would give their opinions and feedback and the concerned ministries would get back to them after studying the issues.
“The process of coordination would be continuous with regular consultations to reach the right conclusions,” a source said.