Won't withdraw Hedgewar's speech from textbook: BC Nagesh

The government would not withdraw the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) founder Keshav Baliram Hedgewar’s speech in the Kannada textbook for students of class 10, Primary and Secondary Education Minister BC Nagesh clarified on Monday.

Outfits, including All-India Democratic Students Organisation (AIDSO) and All-India Save Education Committee (AISEC), have opposed the move to include the speech. They also said that they condemned the plan to remove a lesson on Bhagat Singh to make way for Hedgewar’s speech in the textbook.

“Let there be opposition, but the government won’t withdraw Hedgewar’s speech from the syllabus,” Nagesh told reporters after inaugurating classes for the 2022-23 academic year and Kalika Chetarike programme in Tumakuru, defending the move.

“Hedgewar fought for the country’s freedom. He was jailed. Opposition to the inclusion of his speech reflects a parochial mindset. Let there be opposition for distasteful elements if any in the speech. Some are afraid that the Communist ideas will vanish from the country if people get acquainted with Hedgewar’s ideology,” the minister said.

Nagesh alleged that the inclusion of lessons on Tipu Sultan and those who ruined the country’s culture was not opposed.

“It is wrong to oppose the inclusion of a lesson on an ideal personality,” he stressed, adding,” Hedgewar did attempt to eradicate the caste system and untouchability.”

“Why is it wrong to include Hedgewar’s speech in the textbook?” BJP national general secretary C T Ravi asked in Kalaburagi.

“Hedgewar was a nationalist. The Congress party and Communists who ruled for decades had buried nationalist ideologies. We now teach them to children,” he told reporters.

Clarifying on the content of the speech, the chairman of the Textbook Revision Committee, Rohith Chakratirtha, told DH, "The speech focuses on personality development and the need to be a role model. It doesn’t deal with RSS ideology.”

“Lesson on the speech hasn’t replaced the one on Bhagat Singh,” he said.