<i>'Shuddh desi'</i> understanding

IGNOU, in association with BSM, will host an international conference on idea of Bharat

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) disagrees with what it calls the leftist liberal construct of the “idea of India”, saying that it ignores indigenous traditions and is inspired by Western philosophical thought. On Thursday, the Indira Gandhi National Open University, in association with the Bharatiya Shikshan Mandal (BSM), will host an international conference on the “idea of Bharat”. Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar will inaugurate the conference and former RSS number two Suresh Soni will deliver the keynote address. The BSM is affiliated to the RSS. The “idea of Bharat” — or “Bharat Bodh” — conference aims at contributing a “Bharatiya paradigm of understanding and analysing of phenomena — social, scientific, legal and commercial”. Scholars will present papers on “Bharatiya trading system: decentralised and resource-based”, science and spirituality, spiritual autonomy and moral collectivism etc.