‘Vivekanand to be guiding light for HRD ministry’
13 Sept 2014 5:15 AM IST
‘I am addressing media today on 100-days achievement of my ministry as on this day Swami Vivekananda delivered his famous address at the assembly of religions in Chigao in 1893,’ said Irani, indicating a clear shift in the ideological position of her ministry.
Vivekananda, considered as a youth icon by Sangh Parivar and its affiliate Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), is not held on a very high pedestal by Left of the Centre theoreticians.
Academicians reacted differently on the statement of HRD minister.
While defending the union minister, former professor of political science at Delhi University Subrato Mukherjee said Vivekanand was founder of cultural nationalism, the academic coinage for Hinduvta philosophy. He said, ‘The HRD minister has echoed the spirit of nation building, a task cut out by Vivekanand, whose main concern was the upliftment of daridra narayana (poor).’
Ruling out a particular ideology monopolising education system, Mukherjee said, ‘There is no question of saffronization of education as Vivekanad believed in Jata mat tata path that is as many paths for as many beliefs.’ On the other hand Nonica Dutta, who teaches history at Miranda House, said the HRD minister by invoking Vivekanand is echoing views of prime minister Narendra Modi as in the BJP ideology and frame work, Vivekanand has a special place. ‘In the language of Modi or party’s larger discourse, apart from other thinkers such as Sri Aurobindo and Deen Dayal Upadhyay, Vivekanada is a towering figure, said Dutta.
‘There have been several examples that BJP has practiced the saffronsation of education, but with this what they are going to do is a very critical question, we have to watch and see the outcome of this in near future,’ the DU don said. The University Grant Commission (UGC), an arm of HRD ministry, has formulated a scheme in the name of Vivekananda.
The scheme called Swami Vivekananda Girl Child Scholarship is for research in Social Sciences. Under the plan, 300 scholars would be provided Junior Research Fellowship at the rate of Rs 8,000—Rs 10,000 per month, and will be implemented from academic year 2014-15.
Vivekananda, considered as a youth icon by Sangh Parivar and its affiliate Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), is not held on a very high pedestal by Left of the Centre theoreticians.
Academicians reacted differently on the statement of HRD minister.
While defending the union minister, former professor of political science at Delhi University Subrato Mukherjee said Vivekanand was founder of cultural nationalism, the academic coinage for Hinduvta philosophy. He said, ‘The HRD minister has echoed the spirit of nation building, a task cut out by Vivekanand, whose main concern was the upliftment of daridra narayana (poor).’
Ruling out a particular ideology monopolising education system, Mukherjee said, ‘There is no question of saffronization of education as Vivekanad believed in Jata mat tata path that is as many paths for as many beliefs.’ On the other hand Nonica Dutta, who teaches history at Miranda House, said the HRD minister by invoking Vivekanand is echoing views of prime minister Narendra Modi as in the BJP ideology and frame work, Vivekanand has a special place. ‘In the language of Modi or party’s larger discourse, apart from other thinkers such as Sri Aurobindo and Deen Dayal Upadhyay, Vivekanada is a towering figure, said Dutta.
‘There have been several examples that BJP has practiced the saffronsation of education, but with this what they are going to do is a very critical question, we have to watch and see the outcome of this in near future,’ the DU don said. The University Grant Commission (UGC), an arm of HRD ministry, has formulated a scheme in the name of Vivekananda.
The scheme called Swami Vivekananda Girl Child Scholarship is for research in Social Sciences. Under the plan, 300 scholars would be provided Junior Research Fellowship at the rate of Rs 8,000—Rs 10,000 per month, and will be implemented from academic year 2014-15.
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