The future of every nation rests in the hands of its children. In India, or now called Bharat, this truth carries an even deeper significance. Here, the future of Hindutva lies in the hands of its young generation. It is evident that the leaders of Hindutva harbor a concern about the rise of science and logical knowledge, prompting them to find ways to ensure the longevity of their traditions, culture, religion, superstitions, and the caste system. My intention with this blog article is to keep you informed and aware of these developments.
The Early Indoctrination: Pre-School and Hindutva
Hindutva is being fed to children right from pre-school, where Ramayana and Mahabharata songs are played. Pre-schools, which are meant to teach essential skills, are now involved in making kids hear songs propagating Hindutva ideology from an age when their brains are just beginning to take shape and understand the world and its rules. If parents feel that religious education is important, they can take the responsibility of teaching it at home. This allows parents to tailor the religious teachings to their family's beliefs and practices.
A generation raised with a strong Hindutva influence might bond closely within the Hindu community, but this could also lead to more division and exclusion of other communities. Schools should respect and celebrate the diversity of students' backgrounds. Teaching one specific religious ideology can alienate children from different religious or non-religious backgrounds. Encouraging curiosity and critical thinking helps children learn how to think independently rather than adopting a specific set of beliefs without question.
Textbook Revisions: Renaming History
The BJP government, known for renaming cities like Allahabad to Prayagraj, Mugalsarai to Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Nagar, Robertsganj to Sonbhadra, train stations to Hindu names, has made an audacious attempt at renaming the well-known Indus Valley civilization to the Sindhu-Saraswati civilization. Although this attempt is not extensively documented in Wikipedia, it is well recorded on government site and is now included in social science textbooks for class 6 students.
Renaming Harappa to Sindhu-Saraswati is an effort to portray Hindutva as indigenous rather than an outsider. Please also take a note that there is no proper evidence of Saraswati river. Saraswati is a mythologized and deified ancient river first mentioned in Rigveda, again a Hindu origin script. This link shows what Hindutva wikipedia wants you to know about Saraswati river, where you can see how a tiring effort has been made to prove the existence of Saraswati river.
The term Sindhu-Saraswati is derived from archaeological findings of settlements around the Saraswati River, which are from a later period and are Vedic in nature. These settlements do not resemble the Harappa civilization as they date from later periods. Nonetheless, the government insists on incorporating them as part of one continuous civilization, thus rejecting the well-proven Aryan migration theory. This attempt is simply to prevent Hindutva from being labeled as originating from invading Aryan tribes.
Aryan Migration Theory: Rejection and Rewriting
The Aryan migration theory, supported by genetic evidence and widely accepted historical studies, indicates significant differences between the peoples of South and North India. This theory, acknowledged even by figures like Hitler, is being rejected by the Hindutva government to safeguard their own narrative of existence. The government’s rejection of the Aryan migration theory in favor of the Sindhu-Saraswati narrative aims to prove a continuous indigenous civilization, thereby refuting the idea of Aryan invaders.
The Danger of Acceptance: Manusmriti and Caste System
Accepting the government's revisions and narratives means accepting their core principles from texts like the Manusmriti, which discards women's education and promotes inequality among people based on their caste. This system of caste-based discrimination would primarily harm lower castes, potentially leading to their exclusion from temples and education once again.
Erasing Voices of Reform: The Omission of B.R. Ambedkar
The struggle and contributions of visionaries like B.R. Ambedkar, who worked tirelessly to eradicate caste system in India, are now being removed from school textbooks. Ambedkar’s life story, which serves as an inspiration for fighting inequality, is being omitted, leaving the new generation unaware of the critical reforms and sacrifices made to achieve social justice.
Conclusion
The inculcation of Hindutva philosophy in children from pre-school through school textbooks is a deliberate and strategic effort to shape the future generation's understanding of history, culture, and society. By renaming historical civilizations, rejecting established theories, and erasing reformist voices, the current regime is crafting a narrative that aligns with their ideology. As citizens, it is essential to be informed and critical of these changes
Oh, let us break this ancient curse,
For every child, a chance, a verse,
To learn, to grow, to stand up tall,
In a world where there's hope for all.
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