Country lost temples, universities during Islamic rule; Europeans tried to de-Hinduise India: RSS leader

Senior RSS functionary Arun Kumar on Saturday said the country lost its glorious temples, universities, and value system during the Islamic rule, while the European rulers went on a campaign for its ''de-nationalisation, de-hinduisation and de-socialisation.'' RSS joint general secretary Kumar said that on the completion of 75 years of independence of the country, it is important to recall the freedom struggle of last 1,000 years and how the country survived these onslaughts.

There is a need for discourse in the country about India's independence struggle, how it was before Islamic invasion, and what it was before the European invasion, he said while releasing senior Sangh functionary J Nanda Kumar's book – SWA: Struggle for National Selfhood.

''...there is a memory loss in the country and reason for that is we lost our various institutions including universities, temples and entire value system during struggle against Islamic rule,'' Kumar said But, he said, the country was able to fight the Islamic rule, as its ''family system and social system in villages was intact.'' Talking about the European invasion, Kumar said it needs to be understood that they came with a specific purpose and background.

''East India company, Dutch, British and Portugese came here inspired by evangelical forces. They colonised America, Australia, Africa, and then came to Asia with experience of their previous invasions.

''They tried to establish White-Man supremacy and de-nationalisation, de-hinduisation and de-socialisation in the country,'' Kumar said.

He added, that this ''comprehensive attack was answered with comprehensive resistance across the country.'' Through their own education system, Europeans tried to create new identities and divided the country on religious and caste lines, Kumar said adding that it was a ''result of their education that those who were not ready for partition of Bengal in 1905, agreed for partition of India in 1947.'' PTI JTR VN VN VN