RSS
Run Schools: Indoctrinating
In Sectarianism
By Ram Puniyani
07 November, 2006
Countercurrents.org
RSS run schools are coming
under a scanner, with MHRD minister contemplating action against them
(Oct 2006). In last three decades thousands of schools of different
variety have mushroomed, Ekal Vidyalaya, Sarswati Shishu Mandirs, and
Vidya Bharati, run by RSS combine. Those working in the remote interiors
realized that communalism which was an urban phenomenon so far, now
is making stronger inroads into rural, Adivasi areas as well. As if
well planned, a parallel phenomenon of the incidents of sectarian violence,
have gone up during the same period. Is there any correlation between
the two? While one awaits the publication of Central Advisory Board
for Education (CABE) report, one also knows that already various social
activists and academics have analyzed the books being taught in Shishu
Mandirs and Vidya Bharati. Some of these studies/reports were put together
by many organizations like Sahmat and Communalism Combat amongst others.
These reports did point out
the dangers posed by the types of books being taught in these schools
published by RSS combine. That the books being taught in these outfits
are divisive to the core is beyond any shade of doubt. The type of social
common sense, which is becoming strong in the country all over, and
the type of hate which communities are developing for each other have
come from various sources, one of them being the type of books, the
type of education being given in these chains. One realizes that RSS
shakha bauddhiks were the progenitors of hate ideology right from 1925.
They kept working silently, spreading that this is a Hindu nation, Muslims
and Christians are aliens, secularism is being imposed on ?us? by those
influenced by Western culture like Nehru, there is a need to keep the
Muslims and Christians ?in place?, we need to restore the glory of ancient
Hindu India in the exalted position of the World teacher, the fountain
head of wisdom for the all other countries of the World, as we are chosen
for the World Mission.
This kept percolating in
the society and the indoctrination of sections of community started
taking place, followed by the infiltration of RSS elements in Media
and formal education, giving the process a further boost. The later
stage of this process of sectarian indoctrination is through distortion
of educational books at all the levels and that?s what Sarswati Shishu
Mandirs are doing.
The reports and analysis
of these books so far has revealed that the sectarian ideology of Hindu
nation, the hate and denigration of other religious communities, the
upholding of caste and gender hierarchy and the glorification repressive
ideology of fascism have been blatantly propagated through these. These
books have listed all the Hindu festivals as national festivals, excluding
the ones of Sikhs, Jain, Buddha, Christian and Muslims. They blatantly
propagate that Islam spread on the strength of sword, it is a violent
religion, and lakhs of people have sacrificed their lives to save the
attacks on Ram temple. There is a subtle attempt to undermining of the
acts of violence done by RSS swaymsevaks, like Gandhi?s date of birth
is mentioned but his death and how he was murdered by Godse does not
find any mention. (L.S.Hardenia, Socialist Secular Bharat Jan 2002)
Similarly a more detailed study in Communalism Combat, October 1999,
goes on to show the pattern of distortion of facts, the way presentation
is slanted to demonize other religious communities is elaborated. This
is what they have to say about Christianity, ?It is because of the conspiratorial
policies of the followers of this religion that India was partitioned.
Even today Christian missionaries are engaged in fostering anti?national
tendencies in Nagaland, Meghalaya, Arunachal, Bihar, Kerala, and other
regions of our country because of which there is a grave danger to the
integrity of present day India?. Muslims and Islam are given a similar
treatment, ?Thousands of opponents of idol worship, the followers of
Islam, go to the pilgrimage centre of Islamic community at Kaaba to
worship ?Shivalinga?. In Muslim society, the greatest wish is to have
a darshan of that black stone (Shivalinga)?.
In one of the questions,
children are asked to fill in the blanks ?rivers of blood? as the means
by which Prophet Mohammad spread Islam. Meghanad Saha is supposed to
have written the history of Hindu science, the water of river Ganga,
whose pollution is phenomenal, is supposed to be so pure that it never
gets bad and is pious. The obscurantism and sectarianism walk hand in
hand in this and they boost each other. One of the questions in these
books relates to the demolition of Babri Masjid, if x number of Kar
sevaks can demolish the mosque in so many hours how much time will be
taken by y number of Kar Sevaks. One is reminded of a similar question
regarding Kalashnikov rifles being put forward by Taliban. It goes without
saying that institutions like Markazi Maktaba and Madrassas also need
to be brought under scrutiny for the content of their curriculum and
similar action needs to be taken against them also if the syllabus and
books being taught there have divisive content.
The violence in the society
rests on the pillars of Hatred of other communities, hatred which is
deep and takes hysterical proportions when incited around temple issue
or such one?s or other make believe incidents. The violence cannot go
on without this deep hatred for others, without a mindset indoctrinated
into hating others. That?s what these books are doing; supplementing
to the work which Shakha bauddhik was doing/ is doing. It broadens the
scope of its reach far and wide and that too starting from an early
age. Is it not against the national integration? Is it not against the
values of Indian constitution? There is an urgent need to make public
the CABE report and to take stern and immediate action against these
hate spewing factories.
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