Macaulay sent to India by British to enslave Indians mentally: Rajnath Singh
Dehradun, Jan 6: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said Macaulay was sent to India to throttle the country's traditional system of education and enslave Indians mentally.
He said the revival of 'gurukul' was necessary to counter the effects of the Macaulay's system of education on Indian minds but advised that these traditional schools should synthesise their education with emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and quantum technology.
"Macaulay was sent to India to enslave Indians even mentally by colonising their minds," Singh said, addressing a large gathering of seers and students at the foundation laying ceremony of Patanjali Gurukulam in Haridwar.
Talking about Macaulay's attitude of disregard towards India's cultural and literary legacy, the Union minister said the British official had once declared an almirah in a European library as more than all of India's cultural and literary heritage.
"He (Macaulay) said this about a country that created the Vedas, the Upanishads and the Geeta," Singh said.
"The education system introduced by Macaulay spawned generations of Indians who grew up with a sense of inferiority about their own culture and traditions," the minister said.
He said Mahrashi Dayanand Saraswati and Swami Darshananand established institutions like 'gurukuls' to carry forwards India's traditional system of education and restore its glory.
The Union minister praised Yoga Guru Ramdev for his efforts to revive the institution established by Swami Darshananand in the name of Patanjali Gurukulam saying a new India needed new 'gurukulams' which combined traditional education with emerging and cutting edge technologies.
He also praised Ramdev for popularising Yoga, the ancient Indian discipline of phsyical and mental wellbeing, not only in the country but also abroad saying it was an exemplary service to humanity.
"People can be seen performing yogic kriyas not only in parks but also in buses, trains, metros and flights. This is a result of Baba Ramdev's relentless efforts," he said.
He also praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's efforts behind the proclamation of June 21 by the UN as the International Yoga Day.
The Union minister said the journey of Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna from their humble beginnings to the height of their achievements at present is a source of inspiration to the whole country.
He also urged them to do something about the revival of Sanskrit saying it was a scientific language but the number of people capable of speaking and writing it is increasingly getting smaller.
Earlier, accompanied by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, his Madhya Pradesh counterpart Mohan Yadav, Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal and Rajya Sabha MP and BJP spokesman Sudhanshu Trivedi, Singh participated in a havan on the Jwalapur Mahavidyalaya ground and laid the foundation stone of Patanjali Gurukulam.
Speaking during the programme, Dhami said the country is getting rid of its slave mentality under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Modi.
The country is eagerly waiting for January 22 when the consecration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya is taking place. There is no limit to the joy of Ram devotees and those who love this country, he said. "It would not have been possible without Prime Minister Narendra Modi."
Speaking on the occasion, Trivedi said a new India which takes pride in itself, in its own traditions and cultural symbols is emerging under the leadership of PM Modi.
Addressing the students of Patanjali Yogpeeth attending the ceremony, Trivedi said that with its largest young population India is the youngest country in the world but the oldest civilisation and he can see the combination of the two in the precincts of the gurukul.
"In this combination here, I can see the seeds of India's great future," he said.
Meghwal showered praise on Modi for the passage of a legislation in Parliament which would replace the Indian Penal Code with Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita.
"In this way a penal code inherited from our foreign rulers will be replaced with our own system of justice," he said.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
