Suresh Gopi, an Indian actor, playback singer, and television presenter turned politician who has been serving as the Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas and the Minister of Tourism since. 2024. He was elected as an MP in the 2024 General elections, becoming the BJP’s first MP from Kerala.
NEP as a ‘weapon’
According to The Hindu, Union Minister Suresh Gopi described the National Education Policy as the ‘weapon’ to expose the ‘hollowness’ and ‘lies’ in the compilation of old history, and it will create awareness among children about it. He was interacting with the people and the party workers of the constituency, where he made this claim about the National Education Policy. He alleged that the country's history has been portrayed in a wrong and distorted manner. Mr Gopi also posits a concern that many temples around the country had been plundered over the course of history, and he would seek to understand how the concept of secularism would go together with those who had committed it. He also asks a question, “Shouldn't it be examined?” while talking about the NEP and the PM SHRI schemes.
Also Read | Delhi MCD By Election Result 2025: BJP dominates with 7 wins while AAP gets 3 wards
Mr Gopi vs the ruling LDF government of Kerala
The NEP and the PM SHRI scheme were vehemently opposed by the LDF government in the state. Mr Gopi claims that the incorrect historical facts should be corrected and the children should be taught the correct compilation of history. He also mentions that people should recognise the hollowness and the incorrect facts which are mentioned in the old history. Therefore, the NEP is a weapon to expose it and also a great technique which will make the children aware of it. Mr Gopi attacked the ruling CPI(M) of the state mentioning that communist leaders in the past were the cadres having a socialist mindset, but the present generation consists of those who are aimed at spreading falsehood.
Mr Gopi frames NEP as a corrective to ‘distortions’ in historical narratives and linking it with Centre-backed initiatives like PM SHRI, Suresh Gopi has taken the point to an already fraught debate over the curriculum, ideology and other parts of the education ecosystem of the state. His claims signal a policy battle over textbooks and pedagogy, which is getting intensified as both the State and Centre will stay hardened to their positions.
