Overview
- Speaking at the sixth Ramnath Goenka Lecture in New Delhi on November 17, Modi urged a nationwide resolve to shed a colonial-era outlook over the next decade leading to 2035.
- He traced the mindset to Thomas Babington Macaulay’s 1835 education push that prioritized English and Western curricula over indigenous learning.
- Modi emphasized the National Education Policy’s focus on instruction in Indian languages, saying the government supports local tongues while not opposing English.
- He argued that eroded pride in heritage undermines preservation and depresses tourism, calling for renewed cultural confidence.
- He accused the Congress party of keeping a colonial mindset alive, positioning the call as a political as well as cultural mobilization.