Over the years RSS and its political arm Bharatiya Janata Party has vigorously used its power to implement lasting changes through Education in the states that it is in power.
The BJP Government at Madhya Pradesh was at it again when it was found changing the textbooks of young students of classes 4-8. This time they have gone one step further by bring Babasaheb Ambedkar within the axis of Hindutva. It doesnt stop there, the books glorify the practice of Sati and Jauhar as an act of bravery.
Jagrit Adivasi Dalit Sangathan, an organisation of oppressed castes and tribes in Madhya Pradesh, posted in a series of tweets with snapshots of the books and the texts from the books.
मध्य प्रदेश बोर्ड की ५वी की हिंदी किताब के नए खोज: डॉ. अम्बेडकर बड़े धार्मिक थे, उनके परिवार में रोज़ भजन पूजन होता था | उन्होंने अपनी पत्नी का अंतिम संस्कार पुत्र से हिन्दू पद्धति के अनुसार करवाया | उन्हें ज्योतिष शास्त्र और हस्तरेखाओं का अच्छा ज्ञान था !! pic.twitter.com/XaGrDv7cVX
— Jagrit Adivasi Dalit Sangathan (@JADS_mp) January 21, 2021
Bringing Ambedkar into the Hindutva Fold
In their attempts to hindufy Dr. B R Ambedkar, the textbooks describe Ambedkar’s childhood which was filled with religious culture and his parents to have been ardent believers in Hinduism. Where one is born is not one´s choice but the deliberate attempts to remove the entirety of Babasaheb ambedkar´s life which was fighting against Hinduism, Brahminism, and the Caste System, all of which were synonymous to him.
Ambedkar had criticised hindu practices and wrote extensively hinduism, Gods, idol worship and caste system.
The effort of glorifying the conditions of Hinduism in which he was born without choice instead of his own opinions on it seem to stand according to the RSS’ agenda of reducing him as a ‘Dalit Hindu Patriot’.
Gloirification of Jauhar and duties of various castes
Another chapter in a textbook espouses the ‘Rajput Dharma’ of Kings, and talks about the ‘duty’ of the Rajput caste of fighting war, with a picture of Shivaji and his mother saying ‘Kings protect the Rishis and Brahmins and fight the Demons’.
माता जीजाबाई ने शिवाजी महाराज को बचपन में रामायण/महाभारत/पुराणों की कहानियां सुनाकर उनके मन में "देशप्रेम" के गुण भरे pic.twitter.com/pfsMHBD1FI
— Jagrit Adivasi Dalit Sangathan (@JADS_mp) January 22, 2021
On Jauhar, the tweet shares pages which look at the act not just uncritically, but as the ‘duty of women’ when Kings lose. Women are shown as having ‘decided’ to commit Jauhar.
पाठ २३ में रणथंभोर की रोमांचक जौहर की कहानी pic.twitter.com/dHhrYt9czg
— Jagrit Adivasi Dalit Sangathan (@JADS_mp) January 22, 2021
Also Read: Is CBSE’s Curriculum “Rationalization” an attempt to Saffronize Education?
RSS’ continuous attempts at Saffronisation of Education
This, as is known, is only the most recent instance of RSS redefining History and inculcating Brahminism in young students, by using Congress’ own biases in textbooks as the rallying point for the agenda of Hindutva. Noted Historian and Writer William Dalrymple say, “Since 1977, when the Jan Sangh joined the government as part of the Janata regime, there has been the threat of changing the textbooks. The books in question were Medieval India by Romila Thapar, Modern India by Bipan Chandra, and many others.
In 1999, when NDA came to power, all such textbooks were changed. In 2004, the UPA replaced them again.” In Rajasthan, the recently revamped syllabus of the State Board now glorifies Savarkar as a ‘great patriot and revolutionary’.
In Class 12 Political Science and Economics textbooks, demonetisation has been described as ‘an effort to wipe out black money’, with University textbooks peddling a lie among many others that Maharana Pratap defeated Akbar in War. The High School Itihaas Bhaag, a 190-page textbook on Modern Indian History used in BJP-ruled states, has only 20 pages on freedom movement, and 3 pages for Dr. Hedgewar, the founder of RSS.
The slow but sure communalisation of Education by RSS is itself only a small part of redefining the society, its ultimate aim being communalisation, reinstating the caste system and patriarchal values in short Manuvaadi system where ‘shurdras’ and women should fall in the heirarchical system of caste with Brahmins at the top.
Ananya Kumar is Studying Bachelors in History at University of Hyderabad
[…] Read More: Brahminisation of Ambedkar and Glorification of Jauhar in MP School Textbooks […]