France is at war. This war is of utmost significance not just for Paris, but for the world community at large. In particular, India has much to learn from France – whether it be in terms of countering Islamist terrorism, violence and extremism, or in terms of declaring woke culture a pandemic. France is fighting tooth and nail, and is vowing to protect its society from the American menace of ‘woke culture’, that has taken many societies around the world, hostage. In India too, there are several ‘woke’ elements that threaten to destroy the social fabric of our country, upend natural classifications and normalise just about any bizarrity in the name of modernity.
France has announced plans to boost the teaching of classics in schools in an initiative aimed at countering woke propaganda emanating primarily out of the United States of America. French Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer was recently joined by his counterparts from Italy, Greece and Cyprus in signing a charter pledging a “global and international strategy for the promotion and development of Latin and ancient Greek”. The minister emphasised the need for Latin and Greek to be introduced in professional lycées, where students study vocational courses to train them for jobs in places such as restaurants, factories, beauty parlours and garages.
According to the Times, Blanquer was quoted as saying that he wanted these pupils to “develop their culture” by reading authors such as Sophocles. Furthermore, Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer has vehemently opposed the move by the Petit Robert dictionary to officially recognise a gender-inclusive pronoun “iel”, which is a combination of the French words for he and she (“il” and “elle”).
“Inclusive writing is not the future of the French language,” Blanquer wrote on Twitter. He added, “Our students, who are consolidating their basic knowledge, cannot have that as a reference.” Interestingly, Blanquer is leading a new government think tank, Le Laboratoire de la République, which is tasked with promoting the French brand of secularism and rejecting woke ideology.
Also read: France declares the end of the American Empire and calls Wokeism the immediate cause
Last month, he said, “Our country has become a target of the woke movement. If there was a vaccine against the woke virus, it would be French and the leaders of the movement know that… There’s the feeling here that [freedom of] thought is being narrowed to a vision that is not ours.” French President Emmanuel Macron too, is against the menace of ‘wokeism’, as he told Elle Magazine this past summer that woke culture was “racializing” French society. “I see that our society is becoming progressively racialized,” he said.
Meanwhile, the French minister delegate for gender equality and diversity, Elisabeth Moreno told Bloomberg this May, “The ‘woke’ culture is something very dangerous, and we shouldn’t bring it to France.”
What India needs to learn from France:
India has much to be inspired by France. France is leading its fight against woke culture at the governmental level. French ministers and government functionaries are the ones who are issuing statements against woke culture, warning French society against it and promoting their own French culture and the study of world-renowned classics which can easily counteract the influence that wokeism is having on younger generations.
Also read: Wokeism is anti-evolution
In India, the government seems a bit apprehensive about taking the challenge of woke culture head on and demolishing it. In the long run, this political correctness and tolerance for an invasive culture will cost India dearly. The Modi government needs to immediately step-up the rhetoric against the menace of woke culture, and take constructive steps to counter the same. Indian heritage, history and culture is far superior to the nonsense peddled by woke activists. Indian history has all elements of reasonable modernity to account for, and we in no manner require woke culture to educate or civilise us.
To discount the threat posed to India by woke culture would be foolish and suicidal. The threat is real, and it is time for the Indian government to wake up and learn some tactics of dealing with this menace, from France.