In the PM’s recent visit to Switzerland along with his crony, Adani, the Swiss defense manufacturer SaaB and Dani group agreed to build the helicopters for the Indian Air Force. Adani claimed that this is for nation building.

The same Adani wrote to Singapore Government not to disclose details of interaction that might help DRI to recover evaded duties from him is claiming that this defense deal is for nation building. It must be understood that Adani is not for nation building, but building his business empire in which Modi is involved as well.

The RSS/BJP is trying to encourage foreign investment in the defense sector. It is also encouraging and supporting the private players to manufacture business equipment. The Reliance industries and the Tata are emerging at the major player in the defense manufacturing. So there is a green signal for the private player to enter into this sensitive area.

But more important than defense investment is the investment in education and Niti Ayog (it is difficult to determine the constitutional authority of this Ayog) has asked the HRD ministry to curb foreign investment in education. What India needs at this junction is to have access to education for all citizens and also India’s citizens need access to quality education.

The Indian educational institutes are laggards compared to the educational institutions throughout out the world. India needs collaboration in this sector with the universities and educational institutes from abroad. India needs foreign investment in this area more than in any other sector.

But, the RSS/BJP is only interested in fuelling jingoism in India based on Brahminised nationalism that only seeks interests of a select clientele: Brahmins and Banias. While the Government is cutting huge budgetary support to the educational institutes and also creating syllabus to suit the needs of the “saffron” politics.

For example, the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) is introducing Bharatnatyam in the Journalism courses and other Sanskrit texts. The NCERT is revising syllabus from the saffron perspective. Not only that but the “entrance tests” are becoming so opaque and draconian that the students get lost in the maze of it and a Dalit girl from Tamil Nadu ended her life lost in this turmoil.

The RSS/BJP Government clearly prefers defense investment over the investment in the educational sector both foreign and domestic.

Author – Mangesh Dahiwale, Human Rights Activist