Kochi: A circular from the Union ministry of human resources development on the birth centenary of RSS ideologue Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay that the state’s director of public instruction (DPI) forwarded to schools to act upon has triggered protests. The circular issued recently coinciding with the birthday of Upadhyay on September 25 asks the headmasters and principals to undertake necessary activities to celebrate the centenary. The DPI, K. V. Mohan Kumar, said the circular came through the state government, asked the primary section to conduct competitions in recitation, storytelling and fancy dress.
The secondary section should prompt students to do write-ups on three central government projects in his name, besides essay, drama, skit and poster competitions. "I understand that his contributions like fighting to abolish the zamindari system have been projected,” he said. “It’s a routine process to pass such circulars down through deputy directors. In my knowledge, not much activity has been undertaken.” Former NSUI president Hibi Eden said it showed that the CPM-led government is an ally to the designs of the Modi Government to rewrite the history despite chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan's rhetorics to the contrary.
“It is quite unfortunate. The Sangh Parivar is undertaking slow poisoning of young minds by rewriting history at the school and college level," the legislator said. "Deen Dayal Upadhyay is not even a freedom fighter. The state government should take steps to stop it forthwith.” However, CPM legislator A. M. Arif justified the act saying the state governments are "defenceless" when the Union government names projects after their leaders.
“It had happened during Congress regime also. The state government is in need of Central funds coming through these projects, so names do not matter much," he said. "However, if there is any move to teach the ideology and make an imprint on the ideologue of the Sangh Parivar in schools, that is different, and it should not be allowed.”
