Books written by leaders of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) must be included in the curriculum of all Madhya Pradesh colleges, according to a directive from the state government. The order, issued by the Higher Education Department, has set off a political slugfest. The state government, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party, claims that an anti-national ideology was being pushed earlier, while opposition parties denounce the move as an attempt to promote a divisive ideology.
Dr. Dhirendra Shukla, a senior official of the Higher Education Department, directed the principals of all government and private colleges to buy a set of 88 books in a letter. Works by well-known RSS leaders, including Suresh Soni, Dinanath Batra, D. Atul Kothari, Devendra Rao Deshmukh, and Sandeep Waslekar, are included in the list. Vidya Bharti is the RSS’s educational wing.
This directive supports the inclusion of Indian knowledge traditions in academic curricula, in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The letter from the department also suggests that each college establish a “Bharatiya Gyan Parampara Prakoshtha” (Indian Knowledge Tradition Cell) in order to make it easier to incorporate these books into a range of undergraduate courses.
The inclusion of 14 books written by Dinanath Batra, a prominent figure in the RSS’s educational initiatives and a former general secretary of Vidya Bharti, has sparked controversy over the list of 88 books. Mr. Batra has previously garnered media attention for his support of removing the poem “Sabse Khatarnaak” by revolutionary Punjabi poet Avtar Pash from a Hindi textbook intended for Class 11.
In response to the directive, the opposition Congress has denounced it and charged that the state government, led by the BJP, is trying to indoctrinate students with a “divisive and hateful ideology.”
The leader of the Congress, KK Mishra, questioned the authors’ suitability, claiming that their works are more ideologically based than educationally sound. “Will the books of such authors inspire patriotism and sacrifice in educational institutions?” Asserting that the order would be revoked should the Congress take power, Mr. Mishra inquired.
VD Sharma, the state president of the BJP, defended the choice, claiming that the books would improve students’ general knowledge and character. “What’s wrong with education being saffronized? “At least, we are not endorsing the anti-national ideology previously imposed on our college and school curricula by leftist thinkers,” Mr. Sharma stated.
The instruction comes after Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav declared in June that the state’s curriculum would include lessons from Lord Ram and Lord Krishna. Under the previous BJP government, Mr. Yadav held the position of Minister of Higher Education and steadfastly supported the incorporation of Indian cultural and religious customs into the educational system.
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