New Delhi, Nov 17: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday urged citizens to take a pledge to rid the nation from the mindset of slavery instilled by Thomas Macaulay, who launched a campaign nearly 200 years ago to uproot the cultural foundations of India.
Delivering the sixth Ramnath Goenka Lecture, Modi said the crime committed by Macaulay against India’s cultural and educational foundations will complete 200 years in 2035.
“I want to appeal to the entire country: over the next decade, we must resolve to free ourselves from the mindset of slavery that Macaulay imposed on India. The coming 10 years are extremely important,” Modi said.
The prime minister said that when a nation fails to honour itself, it ends up rejecting its indigenous ecosystem, including the Made in India manufacturing framework.
Citing tourism as an example, Modi said that in every country people take pride in their historical heritage, while post-Independence India witnessed efforts to disown its own legacy.
“Without pride in heritage, there is no motivation for its preservation, and without preservation, such heritage is reduced to mere ruins of brick and stone. Pride in one’s heritage is a prerequisite for the growth of tourism,” he said.
On the issue of local languages, Modi wondered which other country disrespected its own languages.
“Nations like Japan, China and South Korea adopted many western practices but never compromised on their native languages. This is why the new National Education Policy (NEP) places special emphasis on education in local languages,” the prime minister said.
He made it clear that the government was not opposed to the English language, but firmly supported Indian languages.
The prime minister said that Macaulay broke India’s self-confidence and instilled a sense of inferiority.
“This was the moment when the seeds were sown for the belief that progress and greatness could only be achieved through foreign methods,” Modi said, adding that this mindset became even more entrenched after Independence.
“India’s education, economy and societal aspirations became increasingly aligned with foreign models. Pride in indigenous systems diminished, and the swadeshi foundation laid by Mahatma Gandhi was largely forgotten. Governance models began to be sought abroad, and innovation was looked for in foreign lands,” Modi said.
The prime minister asserted that the evils and societal afflictions introduced by Macaulay must be eradicated in the coming decade. (PTI)
