RSS politicising education, say intellectuals, activists

Blaming the RSS for “politicising” education and “assaulting” history, activists and intellectuals on Saturday slammed growing right-wing dominance in every sector. Writer Arundhati Roy, activist Teesta Setalwad, Bharip Bahujan Mahasangh leader Prakash Ambedkar and others gathered in Mumbai to discuss ongoing unrest in various universities in the country.

The Joint Action Committee for Social Justice held a day-long discussion at Ambedkar Bhavan near Dadar in the backdrop of the suicide of 26-year-old dalit scholar Rohith Vemula in the campus of University of Hyderabad (UOH). “Rohith’s suicide has galvanised the entire country to fight against rising casteism. If we do not support the movement against the UOH, which is deeply being used by the state government and the Centre for propagating their ideology, who will Under the present government all the university vice-chancellors are having direct or indirect links with the RSS. The RSS is politicising education and assaulting our history,” Ms Setalwad said in her address.

The discussion was organised by the university students of Tata Institute of Social Science (TISS), Mumbai University, Jadavapur University, Banaras Hindu University, IIT Madras, FTII and the Manipuri students’ association, Delhi.

Speaking at the discussion, Ramesh from the Ambedkar Periyar Study Circle of the IIT Madras, said, “During the last few months, the attacks on students and universities have increased. Suddenly, a group of students are being called ‘anti-national’ (and) ‘terrorist’ and another group as ‘nationalist’. A right of a student to agree and disagree with a particular viewpoint is under attack and the rationale of thinking critically is being questioned.”

Students from universities pointed out the way in which “proto fascist governance” is taking centre-stage. “Today, the silence on the issues — be it of JNU, Jadavapur University or Rohith’s suicide — the silence of our Prime Minister is very suspicious,” said Akansha Tyagi, member, All India Democratic Students Organisation. “In terms of research fellowship programmes, after this government has come they have decreased the budget given to each student for conducting research. Government does not want the future generation of the country to think at all,” she said.

According to S.Q.R. Ilyas, president of the Welfare Party of India, “Acche Din after this government came into power is only for social movements and there is an undeclared emergency in the country where communal fascist forces are isolating and dividing society. But we have to fight them and social discrimination.”