Education Policy in the Hindutva Lab of Gujarat.

BJP, Hindutva and Gujarat: After Experiments of Hindutva in Politics, Now Hindutva is Introduced in Education Policy in Gujarat.

~ Yashpal Bakshi

Gujarat has been a model state for the Bharatiya Janata Party. The pro-active political identity of BJP was established first in Gujarat, so Gujarat is found as a state laboratory for BJP forever. Saffron Hindutva began in Gujarat in 1990 when senior BJP leader LK Advani traveled from Somnath to Ayodhya. When the BJP came to power in Gujarat with an absolute majority in 1995, Keshubhai Patel became the Chief Minister. Since then, Gujarat has been ruled by the BJP. The experiment of Hindutva that BJP did in politics was continued in Gujarat for decades. Now BJP has also emphasized on Hindutva in the new national education policy and BJP has also started experiments of Hindutva in education from Gujarat.

The use of Hindutva in Gujarat politics from Somnath

With the determination that Shri Ram’s temple would be built in Ayodhya itself, senior BJP leader LK Advani launched a rath yatra from Somnath to Ayodhya. The ideology of BJP’s Hindutva started flowing from here. Advaniji was 62 years old at that time, today he is 92 years old. Advaniji’s rathyatra was stopped before reaching Ayodhya, but he played a key role in stirring up majority sentiments in favor of the Ram temple. It is because of this ideology that he played an important role in bringing the BJP to a strong position in the politics of the country. During that period of the Rathyatra, slogans like ‘Bachcha Bachcha Ram Ka, Janmabhoomi Ke Kaam Ka’ and ‘Ramlalla Hum Aeyyengi, Mandir Wohi Banayeenge’ were very loud.

The 1990 trip benefited in 1995

There was a Congress government in Gujarat and the BJP was not as well known as it is now, but the tour (rathyatra) from Somnath to Ayodhya strengthened the BJP’s position in Gujarat and in 1995 the BJP came to power in Gujarat for the first time with an absolute majority.

BJP’s Hindutva in Gujarat

For the BJP, Gujarat has been a laboratory for any experiment, because if the BJP does anything in Gujarat, it succeeds. After Keshubhai Patel, when Narendra Modi came as the Chief Minister in 2001, the BJP’s ideology of Hindutva gained momentum. Somnath was transformed. The flag returned to Pavagadh after 500 years. Last May, BJP national president JP Nadda issued a statement saying, “Gujarat is a laboratory of governance and the current Bhupendra Patel government is part of that strategy.” The statement sparked a heated debate.

Experiments of Hindutva in the Education of Gujarat

The central government has formulated a new national education policy, but due to Corona, the implementation of this policy is now being delayed. One of the issues in the new national education policy is the course of spirituality, in which it is planned to start a course of Hindutva in GTU (Gujarat University of Technology) and MSU (Maharaja Sayajirao University), Vadodara. The course of Hindutva has been announced in the university. Gujarat Education Minister Jitubhai Vaghani announced last month to introduce Shrimad Bhagwad Gita course in standard. 6 to 12 in Gujarat schools. During the school entrance ceremony, books of Shrimad Bhagwad Gita were gifted to the students of Gujarat schools and according to government sources, one and a half crore books of Gita have been printed, so BJP conducted its Hindutva experiments in Gujarat and implemented it all over the country. Now the new education policy is also being implemented from Gujarat. The course of Gita and the course of Hindutva has already begun. After success in Gujarat, it will be implemented at the national level. After the laboratory of Hindutva in Gujarat politics for BJP, now it will also become a laboratory of Hindutva in education.

Course design in MSU

In  Maharaja Sayajirao University, Vadodara, the course of spirituality is going to be started in it. The design of the course has been decided with inclusion of the introduction of Hindu philosophy, introduction of yoga, Hindi, English, history of ancient India, history of medieval India, advanced Sanskrit, environmental science, introduction of Vedas, introduction of Upanishads, modern India (1707-1857), National Movement of India, Hindu Psychology, Introduction to Bhagavad Gita, Introduction to Ramayana, Mahabharata, Introduction to Puranas, History of Modern World, Hindu Culture in South-East Asia, Hindu Judiciary, Introduction to Ayurveda, Introduction to Dharmashastra, Vaishnava and Shakti tradition, Buddha and Jain tradition. Topics also include Cultural Tourism of India, Introduction to Drama, Introduction to Islam and Christianity and its Spread in South Asia, Introduction to Poetry, Reincarnation, Bonding, Moksha Vimarsa and many topics in the line to inculcate the Hindu Dharma and Hindutva ideologies.

Read this article in Gujarati: ભાજપ, હિન્દુત્વ અને ગુજરાત-હવે શિક્ષણમાં પણ હિન્દુત્વના પ્રયોગો ગુજરાતમાં; રાજકારણમાં હિન્દુત્વના પ્રયોગો પણ ભાજપે ગુજરાતમાં કર્યા હતા

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Graphics: Hariom Sharma

Courtesy: Divya Bhaskar

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