Amid the meteoric growth of the saffron brigade into a powerful dictatorship-like apparatus from the detritus of communal conflict filled India, Vidya Bharati Akhil Bhartiya Shiksha Sansthan, education wing of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) weighed in with suggestions to the Narendra Modi led NDA government ‘to introduce a new pattern of education system that emphasizes on Indianisation of education.’ The suggestions of the RSS education wing was submitted to the Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry on the invitation of the government towards introducing a new education policy. We have not seen the fine print of that proposal but it is more than obvious what the RSS is up to. The larger concern is—not just the minority groups, but also the democratic frame in equal measures, will be greatly afflicted in the event of the Human Resource Development ministry’s failure to accommodate all the colours or concentrating only on the Saffron in the making of the said new education policy of India.
Well, the reality is—fear prevails for the reason that the Modi-led NDA government ignores the pulse of the minorities.
We may recall that disturbed by the development, in a meeting early last year, the Christian MPs along with the representatives of all Christian institutions – schools, colleges, medical colleges, engineering colleges and technical education colleges had submitted their joint missive to HRD minister Smriti Irani “to say that they should be consulted for the new policy that the government is planning”. We have no idea about the consultations between the Christian Parliamentarians, the education institution heads and the HRD in this regard. Rajya Sabha deputy chairman P J Kurien, Oscar Fernandes and three others from Congress, Rabi Barnard and two others from AIADMK, Derek O’Brien from Trinamool Congress, Dilip Tirkey of BJD, Jose K Mani of Kerala Congress (M), P A Sangma (National People’s Party) and former Nagaland CM and Lok Sabha MP Neiphiu Rio (Naga People’s Front) among others took the initiative to discuss the matter in New Delhi with Cardinal Baselios Cleemis presiding over the event. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalitha are also endorsing this movement of the Christian MPs.
