Taking a cue from other BJP-ruled States in the country, the Manohar lal Khattar Government in Haryana will organise a week-long event in Government-run schools to spread awareness among lakhs of students about life and teachings of RSS ideologue Deendayal Upadhyaya.
The event is a part of Haryana Government’s plan to mark the birth centenary of Deendayal Upadhayay on a large scale.
Even as the opposition has severely criticised the ruling BJP for undertaking wasteful expenditure for such celebrations and for allegedly influencing the young minds with its ideology, BJP led Haryana Government preparations for the celebrations, nevertheless, are on at full swing.
In a communiqué sent by Haryana Education Department to the district education officers, district project coordinators, block education officers, they have been directed to organise a week-long competitions from September 18-25 to apprise the students about the ideology of Deendayal Upadhyaya. The competitions include poster making, poetry, drama, quiz, among other events, all focusing on the achievements and teachings of Deendayal Upadhayay.
The quiz competition will be held on September 25, related to life and ideology of the RSS leader.
Not only schools, Haryana Government has also decided to organise essay writing competition on Deen Dayal Upadhyaya in various universities, announcing first, second and third prizes of Rs 21,000, Rs 11,000 and Rs 5,100, respectively.
Earlier, more than 2000 copies of “Deendayal Upadhyay Sampoorna Vangmaya”, a compilation of his speeches and writings were distributed to libraries of educational institutions throughout the State.
Recently, the Yogi Adityanath led BJP Government in Uttar Pradesh had also organised a quiz competition for students in Government schools to commemorate the birth centenary of Deendayal Upadhyaya. Most of the questions were about the RSS, BJP led Central Government schemes and Hindu mythology. On the other hand, Shivraj Singh Chouhan Government in Madhya Pradesh has announced that life and teachings of Upadhyaya would be taught to students and will become part of school syllabus.
The BJP Government in Haryana, which is also celebrating Upadhyay’s centenary year birth anniversary with full enthusiasm, has announced to install his 51-feet statue at the Dabchick tourist complex at Hodal in district Palwal. From organising events to launching schemes named after him, the State Government has planned a series of events for the celebrations.
The Government will organise ‘Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Mela’ in villages of the State on September 25. Apart from this, youth centres would be set up in Upadhyaya’s name in all districts of Haryana at a cost of about Rs 3 crore each.
‘Deendayal Upadhyaya Smriti Van’, was launched by Haryana under which saplings would be planted at entrances to the office campuses and all vacant lands under offices in Haryana.
Haryana Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma, who held a meeting of executive committee constituted for organising celebrations of birth centenary of Upadhyaya on Thursday announced that all multi-skill development centres in Haryana would be named as ‘Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Kaushal Kunj’, and Town Park, Faridabad and leisure Valley, Gurugram would be named after Upadhyaya.
The Information, Public Relations and languages Department has prepared a film on the life of Upadhyaya, and is distributing CDs of the film in all schools, colleges, libraries and villages so that people may draw inspiration from his life. Besides, publicity material and souvenirs have been issued, he added.
Notably, a statue of Deendayal Upadhayay was put up at Haryana Raj Bhawan in Chandigarh in the month of June.
Following this, leader of opposition in Haryana Assembly and INlD’s senior leader Abhay Chautala had written to Chief Minister criticising the installation and terming it as wastage of public money.
In a separate letter to the Chief Minister, Chautala had asked him not to undertake ‘wasteful’ expenditure for these celebrations. “Upadhayay might have inspired RSS volunteers and BJP leaders, therefore, the celebration of his birth centenary must be an internal affair of the RSS and the BJP. I, individually, and as the leader of the Opposition, feel offended and outraged by the fact that the centenary celebrations of a person admired by a political party should be funded from the exchequer of Haryana, the INlD leader had said.