BJP mouthpiece quotes Modi to say Batra books, criticized for spreading fundamentalism, are "exemplary"

"Manogat" quotes Modi to praise Batra

By A Representative

The BJP’s Gujarati mouthpiece, “Manogat”, has quoted Prime Minister Narendra Modi as justifying Dinanath Batra’s controversial nine books, which have been officially introduced as “extra readings” in the state’s schools by the Gujarat State School Textbook Board, as exemplary. The monthly, in its latest August issue (click HERE to download), quotes Modi congratulating Batra for his books first published as Prarnadeep series in Hindi, calling them “exemplary", and adding, he “admires” the effort, and “hopes” that Batra’s “commendable literature” inspires children and teachers.

Seeking to suggest that Batra’s books are just an effort towards “character building”, Modi’s signed message, apparently lifted from a Batra book, says, “The ultimate aim of education and knowledge is to build human being’s character”, adding, “Children are innocent and guiltless and are full of emotions. They by nature try to follow others. They consider parents and teachers as their ideal… It is necessary that seeds of moral culture are sown at an early age, so that at the later stage they acquire the dimension of a banyan tree, and they turn into intelligent and cultured citizens.”

Devoting four pages, which are apparently excerpts from Batra’s books (the monthly doesn’t specify), “Manogat” in an unsigned piece, interestingly, blames the Congress party for seeking to “project” life-inspiring incidents as “saffronization”. The Congress, notably, began criticizing Batra’s books much later after several newspapers and TV channels, starting with Indian Express, exposed their content, with a large number of experts giving their comments on them.

“Introducing” Batra, and offering the list of 11 books which are under attack from experts for seeking to spread superstition among children, “Manogat” says, “Batra went to jail for seven times for taking a leading part in the arena of educational reforms. Recently, he extensively traveled for in order to propagate the values of Indian culture and natural life, which have become symbols of progress over the last two decades.”

The journal also quotes Gujarat education minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasma as justifying Batra’s books, calling them “examples of national inspiration”, adding, they provide “graphic evidence” from history about individuals who have become “immortal” through “exemplary courage, polite behaviour, dedication to religion, and achievements.” The tales about these individuals have been told in a “very simple language” and there is “no talk about secularism anywhere”, the minister, who claims to be extremely close to Modi, adds.

Batra shot into prominence following his campaign against American scholar Wendy Doniger’s book on Hinduism, which let the top publishers Penguins to withdraw it from Indian market. Later, he sent a legal notice to another publisher about a book on modern Indian history which led the publisher to begin a review of some of its books, including one on sexual violence during riots in Ahmedabad. The books were released by minister Chudasma for Gujarat schools in March.

Batra, in his books, calls celebrating birthdays by blowing candles “a western tradition”, which should be “shunned”, and instead asks children to “wear clothes manufactured in India, recite Gayatri Mantra, take part in religious ceremonies, feed cows” on that day. He says that motorcars were invented in India during the Vedic period (1500 to 500 BCE), that stem cell research was invented in India thousands of years ago, that Indian sages have been using television for centuries, and that the word “shudra” was introduced by the British.

One of the books exposes his anti-black views. It reads, “The aircraft was flying thousands of feet high in the sky. A very strongly built negro reached the rear door and tried to open it. The air-hostesses tried to stop him but the strongly built negro pushed the soft-bodied hostesses to the floor and shouted, ‘Nobody dare move a step ahead’. An Indian grabbed the negro and he could not escape. The pilot and the Indian together thrashed the negro and tied him up with a rope. Like a tied buffalo, he frantically tried to escape but could not. The plane landed safely in Chicago. The negro was a serious criminal in the Chicago records and this brave Indian was an employee of Air India” (Prernadeep-2).

Comments

From plagiarism to proxy exams: Galgotias and systemic failure in education

By Sandeep Pandey* Shock is being expressed at Galgotias University being found presenting a Chinese-made robotic dog and a South Korean-made soccer-playing drone as its own creations at the recently held India AI Impact Summit 2026, a global event in New Delhi. Earlier, a UGC-listed journal had published a paper from the university titled “Corona Virus Killed by Sound Vibrations Produced by Thali or Ghanti: A Potential Hypothesis,” which became the subject of widespread ridicule. Following the robotic dog controversy coming to light, the university has withdrawn the paper. These incidents are symptoms of deeper problems afflicting the Indian education system in general. Galgotias merely bit off more than it could chew.

Covishield controversy: How India ignored a warning voice during the pandemic

Dr Amitav Banerjee, MD * It is a matter of pride for us that a person of Indian origin, presently Director of National Institute of Health, USA, is poised to take over one of the most powerful roles in public health. Professor Jay Bhattacharya, an Indian origin physician and a health economist, from Stanford University, USA, will be assuming the appointment of acting head of the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), USA. Bhattacharya would be leading two apex institutions in the field of public health which not only shape American health policies but act as bellwether globally.

The 'glass cliff' at Galgotias: How a university’s AI crisis became a gendered blame game

By Mohd. Ziyaullah Khan* “She was not aware of the technical origins of the product and in her enthusiasm of being on camera, gave factually incorrect information.” These were the words used in the official press release by Galgotias University following the controversy at the AI Impact Summit in Delhi. The statement came across as defensive, petty, and deeply insensitive.

Farewell to Saleem Samad: A life devoted to fearless journalism

By Nava Thakuria* Heartbreaking news arrived from Dhaka as the vibrant city lost one of its most active and committed citizens with the passing of journalist, author and progressive Bangladeshi national Saleem Samad. A gentleman who always had issues to discuss with anyone, anywhere and at any time, he passed away on 22 February 2026 while undergoing cancer treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. He was 74.

Growth without justice: The politics of wealth and the economics of hunger

By Vikas Meshram* In modern history, few periods have displayed such a grotesque and contradictory picture of wealth as the present. On one side, a handful of individuals accumulate in a single year more wealth than the annual income of entire nations. On the other, nearly every fourth person in the world goes to bed hungry or half-fed.

From ancient wisdom to modern nationhood: The Indian story

By Syed Osman Sher South of the Himalayas lies a triangular stretch of land, spreading about 2,000 miles in each direction—a world of rare magic. It has fired the imagination of wanderers, settlers, raiders, traders, conquerors, and colonizers. They entered this country bringing with them new ethnicities, cultures, customs, religions, and languages.

Thali, COVID and academic credibility: All about the 2020 'pseudoscientific' Galgotias paper

By Jag Jivan The first page image of the paper "Corona Virus Killed by Sound Vibrations Produced by Thali or Ghanti: A Potential Hypothesis" published in the Journal of Molecular Pharmaceuticals and Regulatory Affairs , Vol. 2, Issue 2 (2020), has gone viral on social media in the wake of the controversy surrounding a Chinese robot presented by the Galgotias University as its original product at the just-concluded AI summit in Delhi . The resurfacing of the 2020 publication, authored by Dharmendra Kumar , Galgotias University, has reignited debate over academic standards and scientific credibility.

Conversion laws and national identity: A Jesuit response response to the Hindutva narrative

By Rajiv Shah A recent book, " Luminous Footprints: The Christian Impact on India ", authored by two Jesuit scholars, Dr. Lancy Lobo and Dr. Denzil Fernandes , seeks to counter the current dominant narrative on Indian Christians , which equates evangelisation with conversion, and education, health and the social services provided by Christians as meant to lure -- even force -- vulnerable sections into Christianity.

'Serious violation of international law': US pressure on Mexico to stop oil shipments to Cuba

By Vijay Prashad In January 2026, US President Donald Trump declared Cuba to be an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to US security—a designation that allows the United States government to use sweeping economic restrictions traditionally reserved for national security adversaries. The US blockade against Cuba began in the 1960s, right after the Cuban Revolution of 1959 but has tightened over the years. Without any mandate from the United Nations Security Council—which permits sanctions under strict conditions—the United States has operated an illegal, unilateral blockade that tries to force countries from around the world to stop doing basic commerce with Cuba. The new restrictions focus on oil. The United States government has threatened tariffs and sanctions on any country that sells or transports oil to Cuba.

Search This Blog