NEW DELHI: A political controversy has erupted following the Delhi BJP government’s reported decision to introduce aspects of the RSS ideology into government school curricula. The move has drawn strong criticism from the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), which has accused the administration of promoting a biased and potentially divisive historical narrative.
In a statement on Tuesday, NSUI expressed concern over what it describes as an attempt to mislead young students and distort the historical record. The organization alleged that the inclusion of RSS ideology in school education is part of a broader agenda to whitewash the group’s contentious past and influence impressionable minds with a one-sided perspective.
NSUI national president Varun Choudhary said that while education should strengthen democratic and constitutional values, introducing ideological content rooted in RSS’s worldview risks doing the opposite. He said, “India’s struggle for freedom and its democratic foundation were built by leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, BR Ambedkar and Sardar Patel —figures who, according to him, represented unity, justice, and equality.” He warned that glorifying RSS, which has often been accused of opposing these principles, undermines the spirit of the Constitution and could sow division among students.
Though the Delhi government is yet to issue a statement responding to the NSUI’s claims, proponents of the RSS and the BJP have previously defended the idea of introducing students to the RSS’s role in Indian society, arguing that it promotes discipline, patriotism, and cultural awareness. Critics, however, maintain that any such inclusion must be historically accurate and presented with transparency, including controversial aspects of the organization’s history.
The NSUI announced plans to protest the move, calling on students, parents, and educators to oppose what it terms an “ideological imposition.”