Retention of English will lead to a class between Rulers and Ruled

Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya, General Secretary, Bharatiya Jana Sangh, made a scathing attack on advocates of English in the course of a press conference he addressed here yesterday.

The BJS leader was particularly critical of Sri K.M. Munshi’s speech in this regard at the National Integration Conference.

The text of the press statement issued at this conference is as follows–

‘The advocacy of English by Sri K.M. Munshi is surprising. One fails to understand the cause of change in his view point. Those who consider English to be the cause and instrument of Bhart’s National Consciousness seem to ignore the positive content of our Nationalism. It appears that Macaulay’s prediction has come true and the English-educated people of Bharat have remained Bharatiya in name only. These people can neither realise the soul of Bharat nor can they impel the people to strive for the attainment of any positive ideals. There will always be an unbridgeable gulf between the leaders and the led as long as English continues. It will result either in the people continuing to be inert with a feeling of suppression and subjugation or their rising in revolt against the leadership. Both these situations are not desirable for a peaceful, orderly and democratic development of the country. If we want to avert this catastrophe we must replace English by Hindi and the regional languages as early as possible.’

Stress on Agriculture in III Plan Illusory

‘The third five year plan does not seek to remedy the causes that led to stresses and strains in the country’s economy during the Second Plan period. It continues to be as capital-intensive and import-oriented as the Second Plan. Priority to agriculture has been given only in words. The programmes proposed are not likely to result in increased agricultural production. No effective and positive policy for stabilisation of prices has been suggested. Unemployment at the end of the third plan period will increase rather than decrease.’

‘The Jana Sangh feels that revolutionary changes should be made in the technique and conception of planning. The plan should mainly be based on the Country’s resources right from procurement of raw materials to their ultimate disposal in the market. Excessive import of foreign capital not only burdens us with loans but impedes an organic growth of our economy. The foreign technology developed in the peculiar factor availability of those countries is mainly capital-intensive and labour-saving. On the contrary we need a technology that is labour-intensive and capital-saving. If such a technology is adopted it will accelerate the rate of economic growth of Bharat. Let us free ourselves from foreign ideologies and technology and conceive our economic development on the basis of realism and nationalism. Let us revive the spirit of Swadeshi. That alone will lead us to restrained consumption and greater production. If we can provide work to all on the basis of decentralized small scale mechanised industries, the needs of equitable distribution will mostly be automatically mat. The rest can be achieved through fiscal measures adopted by the government.

Aligarh

‘The Aligarh University incidents have made it clear that it continues to be a hot-bed of communal and anti-national activities. It is learnt that not only the students but some University authorities are also associated with the whole incident. The non-Muslim students were belaboured only to teach them a lesson so that they may not dare in future to contest the Union Elections. In spite of the debate in Lok Sabha in which the real state of affairs of the University was revealed, the Union Education ministry continued to be complacent and indifferent. It is due to criminal negligence on their part that the present ugly situation has developed. I urge that an enquiry into the affairs of the University be institute and steps should be taken to free it of communal and anti-national elements.’