<p>Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday batted for teaching of Hindi in universities but in the process read out a controversial quote attributed to Lord Macaulay. <br /><br /></p>.<p>According to Singh, Thomas Babington Macaulay, accredited as one of the founders of English education in India, stated in his speech of February 2, 1835, “I have travelled across the length and breadth of India and I have not seen one person who is a beggar, who is a thief, such wealth I have seen in this country, such high moral values, people of such high calibre, that I do not think we would ever conquer this country, unless we break the very backbone of this nation, which is her spiritual and cultural heritage.”<br /><br />Singh said this while addressing students at the Shri Ram College of Commerce. A section of historians argues that the Macaulay passage, quoted before as well, is fake.<br /><br />There was row in 2009 when the preface, written by Dr Murli Manohar Joshi, of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s election manifesto quoted “the speech” delivered by Macaulay “in the British Parliament”.<br /><br />Criticising Joshi, lawyer and historian A G Noorani had then written, “Unfortunately the Doctor does not cite the source… His famous minute on India Education was written in India on February 2, 1835, the very day Joshi has him speak in the British Parliament.”<br /><br />The purported speech popped up on Friday when a college teacher drew Singh’s attention towards Hindi being “reduced to a mere optional subject” in the varsity, under the recently implemented Choice Based Credit System.<br /><br />“It’s true that we have become victims of Lord Macaulay’s intention,” Singh said, doling out assurance that his government will look into the issue.<br /><br /> Singh talked at length about India’s ancient culture and said that India has all it takes to become the “world’s spiritual leader”. But in the same breath he regretted that there is a negative perception about politics in the country. “The word politics has lost its meaning and its relevance today but I want to appeal to the youth to be positive and assure you that our government is working to establish the same meaning and relevance again,” Singh said. <br /><br />Calling upon student to become “performing assets for country and society”, he said, “One will be surprised to know the similarities between al-Qaeda and Infosys. Both have global network, talented and creative youth and both were established during the same time frame but while Infosys symbolises creative talent, al-Qaeda symbolises destructive capability. One is boon and another is bane for the society.</p>
<p>Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday batted for teaching of Hindi in universities but in the process read out a controversial quote attributed to Lord Macaulay. <br /><br /></p>.<p>According to Singh, Thomas Babington Macaulay, accredited as one of the founders of English education in India, stated in his speech of February 2, 1835, “I have travelled across the length and breadth of India and I have not seen one person who is a beggar, who is a thief, such wealth I have seen in this country, such high moral values, people of such high calibre, that I do not think we would ever conquer this country, unless we break the very backbone of this nation, which is her spiritual and cultural heritage.”<br /><br />Singh said this while addressing students at the Shri Ram College of Commerce. A section of historians argues that the Macaulay passage, quoted before as well, is fake.<br /><br />There was row in 2009 when the preface, written by Dr Murli Manohar Joshi, of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s election manifesto quoted “the speech” delivered by Macaulay “in the British Parliament”.<br /><br />Criticising Joshi, lawyer and historian A G Noorani had then written, “Unfortunately the Doctor does not cite the source… His famous minute on India Education was written in India on February 2, 1835, the very day Joshi has him speak in the British Parliament.”<br /><br />The purported speech popped up on Friday when a college teacher drew Singh’s attention towards Hindi being “reduced to a mere optional subject” in the varsity, under the recently implemented Choice Based Credit System.<br /><br />“It’s true that we have become victims of Lord Macaulay’s intention,” Singh said, doling out assurance that his government will look into the issue.<br /><br /> Singh talked at length about India’s ancient culture and said that India has all it takes to become the “world’s spiritual leader”. But in the same breath he regretted that there is a negative perception about politics in the country. “The word politics has lost its meaning and its relevance today but I want to appeal to the youth to be positive and assure you that our government is working to establish the same meaning and relevance again,” Singh said. <br /><br />Calling upon student to become “performing assets for country and society”, he said, “One will be surprised to know the similarities between al-Qaeda and Infosys. Both have global network, talented and creative youth and both were established during the same time frame but while Infosys symbolises creative talent, al-Qaeda symbolises destructive capability. One is boon and another is bane for the society.</p>
