Memories of my visit to a RSS-run school in north
Bihar’s Darbhanga, four years ago, were refreshed
recently with the news that the Sangh has decided to
open schools and hospitals in all blocks of Khunti.
Then the “pradhanadhyapak”, as the headmaster in the
RSS schools is referred to, in that desolate Darbhanga
village school was engrossed in teaching his pupils
that: “President A.P.J Abdul Kalam was a Hindu”.
Intrigued, I had asked how would such a false
description help the students. The pradhanadhyapak had
promptly replied: “Kalam reads the Geeta, Ramayana and
other Hindu scriptures, besides the Quran Sharief.
Moreover, he is the President of Hindustan; that’s why
he is a Hindu. I am teaching the usual truth”. What
the teacher preached as an “usual truth” was quite
unusual to me prompting me to write a story, which the
national daily I had been associated with then,
published on its front page.
I wondered if the schools, that were to be opened in
Khunti, a place dotted with a wide network of
Christian missionary schools, would teach the “usual
truth” as well.
While pondering over the RSS decision, I informed our
editor of the rightwing Hindu oufit’s decision to open
schools in Khuti, suggesting that the news be
published prominently. But the editor shot back: “What
is so special about the RSS opening schools in Khunti?
Try and investigate what they have contributed to the
field of education so far. Nanaji Deshmukh adopted
Singhbhum in the early 1970s. Did it make any
difference to the region?”
The editor had questioned the very purpose of the
institutions. After a little bit of investigation, I
too, have no reason to disagree with the editor on the
issue. The RSS has been running schools known as
Saraswati Vidya Mandir in the city’s Dhurva locality
since 1971, which claims to have 2,600 students as of
now. Its Chutia-based Saraswati Vidya Mandir, too, is
about 15 years-old. Similarly, the RSS runs a wide
network of such schools in remote areas of Santhal
Pargana and Chhotanagpur for over three or four
decades.
But the state hardly knows any product of Saraswati
Vidya Mandir earning a name in the field of science,
literature, economics, journalism and bureaucracy. Are
there litterateurs like Amitav Ghosh and Vikram Seth,
or scientists like A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, or economists
like Amartya Sen, who had their primary education in
RSS-run schools? No. Jharkhad has its share of
excellent academics. For instance the historian K. K.
Dutta whose birth centenary is being celebrated and
anthropologist L. P. Vidyarthi. Did the likes of
Vidyathis and Duttas ever study in RSS institutions?
No.
The problem is that the RSS has been so busy trying to
counter the “evil” impact of Christian missionaries
since Golvalkar’s days that they have simply failed to
match the standard of the missionary schools.
Interestingly, the leaders of the BJP and RSS’s
political wing don’t send their children to RSS
schools. For instance, chief minister Arjun Munda
opted for a Banglore-based Christian missionary school
to admit his son rather than the Saraswati Vidya
Mandir. None of the top Sangh Parivar’s leaders like
Arun Shourie, Arun Jaitley, Yashwant Singh and Pramod
Mahajan have ever studied in the schools, which
emphasizes on “Bhartiyata” and despises “western”
influence. Many top “parivar” leaders have opted for
Christian missionary schools as well. Let me clarify
that I have nothing against RSS-run schools. But they
will have to impart quality education in the field of
science, arts and literature if they are genuinely
striving to compete with other schools. The RSS should
take notice of the fact that Nagpur, where it is
headquartered, attracts students for offering quality
education in science, computer and management. Few
visit Nagpur to learn lessons in Hindutva, fanaticism
and falsehood.
