New Delhi,
Uma Bharti, minister of state in the human
resources development ministry, is subtly
pushing through an agenda that would delight
RSS preachers and BJP hardliners. Her
programme of "national reconstruction" targets
the nation's youth, who have supposedly been
waylaid by the glitter of "affluence".
The fiery minister from Madhya Pradesh has
summoned a two-day meeting of state ministers
this Wednesday to set up a National
Reconstruction Corps (NRC), an organisation of
volunteers in the age group of 18-35 years.
The NRC will be guided by the principles of
patriotism, character-building and homespun
remedies to all national ills.
The approach paper, to be circulated on
Wednesday's meeting, says: "The campaign shall
focus on recruiting, training and deploying
youth for national service."
It talks about separate groups of women
volunteers who will take into account the
"special capabilities and needs of women".
To cleanse the cultural stream, the youth will
be tutored in Vivekananda's "spiritual
nationalism", Bal Gangadhar Tilak's "Swadeshi"
and Bakimchandra's "love of motherland".
They will turn to Gandhi to imbibe the "spirit
of national service" and to Subhas Chandra
Bose and Bhagat Singh for lessons in
"sacrifice and patriotism".
"This worship of the motherland through work
and service should be triggered by the mission
of Swami Vivekananda unveiled before the youth
of India," says the paper.
Set to the RSS tune, the approach paper rues
the erosion of national values and the
mindless drift among the youth. "A large
section of the Indian youth has drifted
towards an easy and casual approach to life,"
says the paper.
In a veiled attack on western culture, it
underlines the increasing alienation of the
youth from the "roots of Indian reality". The
paper adds that those who are the best
educated are looking for "life and opportunity
outside India".
To "regenerate" the youth, the NRC will spread
out in every corner of the country. There will
be block- to state-level committees; and
district-level committees will be empowered to
recruit volunteers. In the cities, it will
focus on slums.
The paper has pinpointed nine areas of
intervention - from agriculture and healthcare
to poverty alleviation, vocational training
and social justice.
The minister expects the Centre to bear the
entire financial burden for the first two
years, which includes a Rs 1,000 honorarium to
volunteers. In the third year, the Centre will
render 75 per cent of financial assistance and
from the fourth year, states are expected to
put in an equal share.
For the time being, the NRC is just a concept
on paper and policy makers are still to work
out a blueprint to bring it to life.