Deshbhakti Curriculum: AAP's move into nationalism space during Delhi Assembly election

Releasing its manifesto a few days ahead of the Delhi Assembly Election, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has promised to introduce the Deshbhakti Curriculum in all government schools. This curriculum will follow the successes of Happiness Curriculum and Entrepreneurship Curriculum, asserted Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia.

READ | AAP releases party manifesto for Delhi Assembly election

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had announced the Deshbhakti Curriculum, a new ‘patriotic’ course on the eve of 2019 Independence Day, to be introduced in government schools in 2020 to inculcate the love for the nation in the minds of students.

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The CM had mentioned about how people are generally reminded of their love for India only when there is an India-Pakistan match or tension on the border and not during their day-to-day activities. “Deshbhakti Pathyakram is being introduced so that every citizen can truly love his country. When the children grow up and start working and at some point in time, if they take bribes, they must realize that they have betrayed their ‘Bharat Mata’. When he breaks the traffic rules, he feels that he has done wrong with his country,” the Chief Minister had said in 2019.

In September 2019, CM Kejriwal had held his first meeting with a committee set up to formulate the curriculum on Deshbhakti Pathyakram. Addressing the meeting, the CM had directed the committee that the curriculum must instil a feeling of love and responsibility towards the country. 

The Chief Minister had said in the meeting that his definition of patriotism is the feeling that encourages people not to evade taxes, pay or accept bribes, adding that those who do this cannot be patriotic.

The Chief Minister had said, “The common man has gotten so busy in his own life, that he has no time to think about the country. Patriotism cannot come out in an India-Pakistan match alone. For our culture, the people of our country should feel love and pride. It is our responsibility to instill the feelings in our children. We have heard stories about Japan. People are extremely helpful even to strangers. This is patriotism and true love for the country. The significance of real education is only when all this comes to the children.”

The committee had notified in the meeting that in the existing syllabus of class 1 to 12, a list of chapters was being prepared that already talk of patriotism. The Chief Minister had told the committee that the syllabus should include things that would lead to better civic and developmental sense in the coming generations.