KOCHI: ‘Viksit Bharat’ should be economically strong and contribute to the development of the world, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said in Kochi on Sunday.
Addressing the Gyan Sabha organised by the Siksha Sanskrithi Utthan Nyas at the Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, he said it will help earn respect.
“India should grow strong and economically powerful. Viksit Bharat will not attack any country. In fact, we never conquered any country in history,” he said.
Talking about “Bharatiyata in education”, the theme of the Gyan Sabha, Bhagwat said the country should retain its identity. “Bharat is a proper noun and shouldn’t be translated. Will you translate the name Gopal to cow herder in English? The identity of Bharat is deeply rooted in its tradition and preserving the identity will help to earn respect. Bharat should be Bharat whether in writing or speech. A lion will get respect only in the wild and not in circus,” he said.
Pointing out that the purpose of education is to help a person develop personality, Bhagwat said a person should be able to express his thoughts and feelings.
“Bharatiya education system and our tradition teaches to share and sacrifice for others. Our tradition is deeply rooted in culture and we should know the culture to impart it to our children,” he said.
Governor Rajendra Arlekar, who presided over the function, said the New Education Policy (NEP) is the first attempt by India to decolonise our education system.
“We were under the influence of colonial thought, which changed our thought process. The NEP is different from what was being taught in the country. People say India is a golden bird. But we should be a roaring lion and the roar should be heard across the world,” Arlekar said.
Siksha Sanskriti Utthan Nyas national secretary Atul Kothari and Association of Indian Universities secretary general Pankaj Mittal were among those who spoke on the occasion.