RSS claims Nehru ordered his birthday to be marked as Children's Day

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) have claimed that Congress party stalwart and the nation's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, celebrated his birthday as Children's Day almost a decade before he died in 1964. In its mouthpiece 'Organiser', the RSS claims that Nehru issued the orders for the same as he wanted to make the whole generation his follower and admirer.

In an editorial published in 'Organiser', the RSS claims that Nehru emulated the German dictator Adolf Hitler by doing so. It cited an article published in it in 1955, written by veteran journalist R. K. Malani, claiming that it is a widely held misconception that November 14 is celebrated as Children's Day after the death of Nehru. It substantiated its claim by saying that reports and documents suggest that Nehru's birthday was celebrated as Children's day in the year 1955 i.e. nine years before his death.

It further claims that Nehru's step was allegedly his bid to please the leaders of erstwhile Soviet Union. "It had nothing to do with children or Chachaji's eternal love and affections for India's young buds. It was merely a public relations exercise, organized to please his Soviet Union masters Comrades Bulganin and Khrushchev who embarked on an India visit during that time."

The editorial added that the move was aimed at creating a base of youth followers similar on the lines of the Nazi Party's youth wing 'Hitler- Jugend' which was Nehru's first move to allegedly establish a dictatorship.

"It has been said of Hitler that he built up his dictatorship on the devotion of 'Hitler Youth' organization. We must confess that the above preparations remind us of the 'Hitler Jugend'," stated the editorial.

"For three weeks now, the entire educational machinery in the capital has been put out of gear. Since a number of students from every class in almost all the schools have been out rehearsing and re-rehearsing their allotted role for a couple of hours every day," it added.

The editorial further claimed that "in the name of Children's Day celebration, truckloads of Delhi students, both boys, and girls, had been daily transported to Kutub Minar ground for lessons in drilling, smiling, garlanding, clapping and shouting slogans!"

"This is a new variant of the invisible colonialism which Nehru warned against, in his 'Discovery of India'," it concluded.