Speaking at an event on ‘Yuganukul Matrutva’ on Friday, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has put forward a suggestion to include knowledge about Hindu gods in textbooks. He also added that parents should also be equipped to answer children’s questions about their faith.
According to him, such foundational knowledge is important and should be readily available to the children through textbooks, as it will help them to understand their cultural and religious traditions from an early age. He also drew attention towards the fact that the present generation needs a different approach to parenting, where emphasis is given more to dialogue than dictation, as per PTI.
Bhagwat said that it has been observed very often that children return with questions about Hindu deities, and parents frequently fail to answer why certain gods are depicted with animal features.
Not dictation, But Discussion
The RSS chief also spoke about changing parenting styles, saying today’s generation requires discussion rather than strict instructions. Unlike earlier times, when children accepted their parents’ words without questioning, he said modern parents need to explain their reasoning and engage in meaningful conversations with their children.
As he expressed concern over declining communication among family members, he said mobile phones have replaced the conversations within the families at home. He noted that despite living under the same roof, family members spend most of their time on their devices rather than interacting with each other.
According to Bhagwat, the conversations that take place at the homes create an environment where children feel comfortable enough to share their thoughts and ask questions, letting the parents address their concerns in a more effective manner.
He also emphasized that children learn more from observing their parents’ behavior than from listening to lectures. If parents fail to practice the values they teach, children quickly notice the contradiction and lose trust in their words, he said.
Bhagwat concluded by saying that values are passed on through affection, dialogue and personal example. He also added that a strong foundation built on these principles can help children develop the ability to deal with the growing influence of technology while remaining connected to their families and values.