Bharatiyakaran: RSS' 8-point guide to saffronise education

"As Narendra Modi and his ministers lined up at RSS' recent conclave with their report cards, the Sangh elders were particularly assessing the work in three areas - Siksha, Sanskriti, Sanchar (Education, Culture, Communication). That is because education, culture and communication are central to the RSS' saffronisation project, Bharatiyakaran. Of these, education is the top priority. Indeed, soon after the conclave at Madhyanchal in Delhi, the RSS held a meeting of its sister outfits at the same venue to brainstorm how the Parivar would implement its agenda on education. It was attended by leaders of the Bharatiya Sikshak Mandal, Akhil Bharatiya Sikshak Mahasangh, Vidya Bharti, ABVP, Itihas Sankalan Samiti and BJP, among others. The RSS sent joint general secretary Krishna Gopal.

More important, education ministers from states ruled by the BJP attended as did some central ministers and MPs. Senior Sangh leaders have again gathered for the national executive meeting of Vidya Bharati that began in Varanasi on 11 September. And on the agenda is a discussion on the "new education policy". "The idea behind exchanges between ministers and experts from our sister organisations on framing the education policy is to get a better understanding of the issues," says a senior RSS leader. "And what is wrong if someone who has been working for decades on issues related to the education helps state and central governments."

But why is the Sangh so concerned about education. "Our education system needs overhauling," says an RSS leader. "Iske Bhratiyakaran ki awashyakta hai (It needs to be Indianised)." "The past governments have written history and other subjects the way they wanted. It was their history. Now it's time to teach genuine history and take the education system in the right direction." The Sangh, in effect, wants ownership of the narrative on history, and by extension, the idea of India. To enable this, it needs to comprehensively saffronise the country's education system. Here are the various ways through which the RSS plans to achieve this goal..." (Continue reading.)