Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking at the Ramnath Goenka Lecture in Delhi, accused the Congress of advancing the ideas of Thomas Babington Macaulay and perpetuating a “colonial mindset” in India. Modi said the next ten years will be crucial, noting that by 2035 it will be 200 years since Macaulay’s education model was implemented in India. Appealing to the public, he said the country must resolve to free itself from the “slave mentality” that Macaulay allegedly embedded in Indian society. He argued that India’s cultural confidence and indigenous systems were systematically weakened during the colonial period and must now be reclaimed.
‘Macaulay Broke India’s Education Backbone’
Modi said, “In India’s traditional education system, we were taught to take pride in our culture. Our education emphasised skill along with learning. That is why Macaulay decided to break the backbone of India’s education system, and he succeeded. Macaulay ensured that British language and British thinking received greater recognition during that period, and India paid the price for it for centuries to come.”
‘Macaulay Destroyed Our Self-Confidence’
Modi continued, “Macaulay broke our self-confidence and filled us with a sense of inferiority. He threw our entire way of life into the dustbin in one stroke. That was when the belief took root that Indians must adopt foreign ways to achieve anything. This mindset only strengthened after Independence. The sense of pride in what is ours gradually weakened.”
The Prime Minister added, “The swadeshi philosophy, which Mahatma Gandhi made the foundation of the freedom movement, stopped receiving attention. We began to look abroad for governance models and innovation. This mindset led to a tendency where imported ideas, imported goods and imported services were all considered superior.”
‘India Moved In The Opposite Direction’
Modi said, “Wherever tourism flourished, the people of that country took pride in their heritage. In India, the opposite happened. After Independence, efforts were made to dismiss our heritage. When there is no pride, there is no preservation. Without preservation, we treat our monuments as mere ruins of stone and brick, and that is exactly what happened.”
He added that India does not oppose the English language. “Japan, China and Korea adopted foreign methods but kept their language. That is why in our new education policy we emphasise teaching in local languages. Our opposition is not to English; we are in support of Indian languages.”
The Prime Minister concluded, “In 1835 Macaulay committed a crime, and by 2035 it will be 200 years. Therefore, I appeal to the nation: in the next ten years we must resolve to free ourselves from the colonial mindset that Macaulay embedded in India.”