On Thursday, Dattatreya Hosabale, the general secretary of the RSS, emphasized the need for India to move past a “Macaulayist mindset” to combat what he described as a long-standing narrative war against the nation. This statement comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s repeated calls for India to shed the influence of T.B. Macaulay by 2035, marking two centuries since Macaulay argued in his influential document on Indian education that he desired “Indians by blood but English in mindset.”
Hosabale made these remarks during the launch of Tarun Vijay’s book, “Mantra Viplav,” at the World Book Fair. He pointed out that we live in an age dominated by narratives, which do not always need to be true. He highlighted how outsiders had historically exploited India, leading to a kind of subversion of Indian beliefs.
Looking back at Western scholarship during the colonial era, he noted how figures like Max Muller impacted perceptions of India, promoting narratives that divided the country. He argued that our rich Indian knowledge should be embraced and interpreted in contemporary contexts, urging a shift towards Indian terminology rather than Western terms. “Many think Sanskrit words are tough, but English words can be just as difficult,” he added.
BJP Rajya Sabha MP Sudhanshu Trivedi echoed Hosabale’s sentiments, describing the current effort to reclaim Indian knowledge as even more vital than the freedom struggle. He remarked that certain segments of intellectual circles continue to cling to the legacies of Macaulay, Marx, and Mughals.
Author Tarun Vijay also contributed to the discussion, stating that when a society is poisoned by ideas like left-liberalism and extremist ideologies, it suffers. He asserted that Hindutva serves as a counter to this ideological poison and expressed confidence that victory is within reach, reflecting on symbols of this struggle like the Ram temple and Somnath.
In summary, the conversation was rooted in a desire to reclaim Indian heritage and narratives while encouraging a shift away from colonial influences in thought and language.
