Impart education in mother tongue: RSS tells BJP govt in Centre and states

Nagpur: RSS on Sunday asked the BJP-led Union government and those in states to impart education in the mother tongue of students or constitutionally recognised state languages, saying those educated in a foreign language get “alienated” from their culture and tradition. The Akhil Bhartiya Pratinidhi Sabha (ABPS), RSS’ top decision and policy making body, today adopted a resolution to that effect. [caption id=“attachment_2155149” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. AFP[/caption] “A student educated in a foreign language gets alienated from his surroundings, traditions, culture and values of life, at the same time one also loses his identity, remaining ignorant of ancient knowledge, science and literature,” the resolution said. It said eminent thinkers like Mahatma Gandhi, Madan Mohan Malviya, Ravindranath Tagore, B R Ambedkar and S Radhakrishnan and scientists including C V Raman, P C Ray and J C Bose had said it was both “scientific and natural” to impart education in the mother tongue. It also said several commissions like Radhakrishnan Commission and Kothari Commission had also made such recommendations. “ABPS calls upon the Union Government and State Governments to review their present language policies and ensure an effective system to impart education in mother language or in constitutionally recognised state languages and simultaneously take initiative for use of Bhartiya languages in education, administration and delivery of justice,” it said. The resolution said while RSS was “fully supportive” of study of various languages including foreign languages, it was its considered opinion that for natural learning and to enrich cultural moorings, education, particularly elementary education, should be in mother tongue or state languages. Ever since the formation of the Narendra Modi government, RSS has been consistently engaging with it over shaping its education policy, a move criticised by the Opposition as an attempt to saffronise the education system. PTI