In an effort to build good qualities and character of students at a young age, the RSS will be setting up ‘Balagokulam’ (study centres) in 31 districts of Madhya Pradesh.
The RSS Madhya Bharat branch has introduced at least 600 study centres in Madhya Pradesh’s villages in August as schools have come to a halt due to COVID19.
“The schools are closed and students are being educated through online classes due to Covid 19. There are many students in MP who are lagging behind in online classes as they don’t have smart mobile phones. To help such students up to class 8, more than 1000 volunteers have started teaching at Balgokulam centres for three hours daily with the help of books and community radio, in which special educational programmes are being run to teach students,” Satish Pimplikar, the RSS leader in-charge of the programme was quoted saying in a report published by Hindustan Times.
Volunteers of the women’s wing of the RSS, the Rashtra Sevika Samiti, are also involved in teaching and helping students learn in these study centres.
Through the study centres, children are taught regular lessons along with instilling patriotism by telling stories of freedom fighters, and also educating them on the India’s rich culture. The classes start with Saraswati Vandana (worship to Goddess Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge) and ends with Vande Mataram.
Social distancing and other COVID19 norms are put in place in these study centres. Children bring their books that were distributed by school teachers during lockdown. They are also given simple homework.
Most of these centres are located in disadvantaged areas. 1000 centres are expected to be started in next 2 weeks.
Congress spokesperson JP Dhanopia called this an ‘expansion plan’ of the RSS to ‘spread saffron ideology’. The BJP has praised the initiative and hit out at the Congress saying that it is their habit to criticise everything and that they are pessimistic people.