Madhya Pradesh Government orders colleges to buy set of 88 books, most of which are written by authors with links to RSS

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav. File
| Photo Credit: PTI

The Madhya Pradesh government has asked all undergraduate colleges in the State to set up a new cell named ‘Bharatiya gyaan parampara’ (Indian knowledge tradition) and purchase a set of 88 books, most of them written by various Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) functionaries and ideologues.

The list of books includes nine authored by Dinanath Batra, former general secretary of Vidya Bharati, the school network run by the RSS; four by Atul Kothari, an RSS ideologue and national secretary of Shiksha Sanskriti Utthan Nyas; and one by Suresh Soni, a senior functionary of the Sangh. The list also includes four books by Swami Vivekananda.

According to a letter issued by the State’s Higher Education Department on August 2, instructions were issued to all government-run, government-aided and private undergraduate colleges to set up these cells to ensure that students are introduced to Indian knowledge traditions in compliance with the National Education Policy, 2020.

“It should be ensured that each book is purchased for the ‘Indian knowledge tradition cell’ of all colleges. The list of books is attached with the letter and sent to you,” said the letter signed by Dhirendra Shukla, special duty officer at the Higher Education Department.

The books’ topics include Vedic mathematics, science in India and the education system. The list also consists of two books that argue against English medium education.

The order has drawn ire from the Opposition Congress which has claimed that the authors mentioned in the list have “nothing to do with the education world”.

“They are dedicated only to a particular ideology. When the Congress government is formed (in the State), we will get this order abolished,” said K.K. Mishra, a senior Congress leader and media adviser to State unit president Jitu Patwari.

In a post on social media platform X, Mr. Mishra hit out at the RSS and its ideology.

“Will the above mentioned writers be able to explain to the youth that this Sangh ideology never had any kind of relation with the freedom struggle! Isn’t this the same ideology which gave the British the action plan to destroy this movement… Is it not true that in a circular issued on January 21, 1930, the Sangh had issued an order to all branches to salute the “saffron flag” as the national flag to support the resolution of the Sangh?” Mr. Mishra wrote.

He also asked if the books of these authors could “inspire patriotism and sacrifice in educational institutions”.