The Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University would teach about Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to the second-year students of Bachelor of Arts (BA). A chapter on RSS contribution in nation building has been added to the curriculum of BA fourth semester.
Interestingly, this chapter has been added in place of communalism. Till last year, students were taught about communist movement in the fourth semester of BA.
RTMNU is perhaps the first varsity in the country to introduce RSS in the curriculum of under-graduate course. The second year BA students were so far learning about the rise of communist movement, cabinet mission, etc in the subject comprising pre-independence period between 1885 and 1947.
However, the communalism has been replaced with RSS contribution in nation building from this year. Head of humanities department Dr Pramod Sharma said has denied any kind of political motive behind including RSS as one of the subjects in BA.
He said, RSS always been a subject of study for the students of RTMNU. For many years, Master of Arts students were learning about the history of RSS in the fourth semester. There was a subject ‘History of Vidarbha’ in which RSS constituted the fourth unit. Now, it was decided to teach under-graduate students about the history of RSS too.
Meanwhile, the RSS workers have welcomed the decision. They said, RSS is the biggest organisation in the country and its contribution towards the development of nation is immense. However, the Communist party leaders are irked with the RTMNU decision to omit communist movement from the syllabus.
CPI district secretary Arun Latkar said, communist movement has played a crucial role in the development of Vidarbha. RSS had no role in the struggle for freedom. It is an attempt to teach students that RSS was behind all the major developments which is false.
The move by RTMNU may trigger a political storm in the region. Congress, NCP and other opposition parties have always raised questions on the role of RSS in freedom struggle. They have claimed that RSS never participated in the freedom struggle and none of its leader sacrificed its life for the sake of nation.
The decision to teach RSS role in freedom has been seen as an attempt to saffronise the education system.
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