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New Delhi, Opposition parties in India have launched a sharp critique against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government for its decision to entrust the management of Sainik Schools to entities associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and other Hindu nationalist groups. This move has sparked concerns over the communalization of these prestigious military preparatory institutions.
According to Kashmir Media Service, a detailed examination by the Reporters’ Collective has uncovered that a significant portion of the Sainik Schools, specifically 62% out of 40 schools handed over to private management, are connected to the RSS, BJP politicians, and organizations promoting Hindutva ideology. This discovery follows the 2021 announcement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration allowing private operations of Sainik Schools with the goal of establishing 100 new institutions across the country.
The Reporters’ Collective, leveraging government press releases and responses to Right to Information (RTI) queries, pointed out that entities affiliated with key figures in the Hindu nationalist movement, including Sadhvi Ritambhara, are among those managing these schools. Ritambhara is known for her involvement in the Vishva Hindu Parishad’s (VHP) Durga Vahini and her role in the events leading to the demolition of the Babri Masjid.
Notable opposition voices like Shashi Tharoor of the Congress party have voiced their apprehensions, stating that this policy could undermine national security, especially in conjunction with the controversial Agniveer scheme for military recruitment. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has also expressed its disapproval, stressing the potential ramifications for the secular ethos of India’s military education system. The CPI-M has called for a retraction of this privatization move to safeguard the non-sectarian and nationalistic values inherent to the Sainik Schools.
Historically, Sainik Schools have been instrumental in grooming young aspirants for service in India’s defense academies, producing numerous distinguished military leaders. These institutions were traditionally overseen by the autonomous Sainik School Society under the Ministry of Defence, a structure that the opposition fears is being undermined by the current government’s actions.