Baldev Sharma's appointment as NBT chief signals his return to RSS' good books

NEW DELHI: Baldev Sharma, the new chairperson of the National Book Trust, has made some sort of a comeback with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) since only two years back he was removed as editor of the Sangh weekly Panchjanya.

Sharma is among the Sangh insiders and sympathizers who have been appointed to key positions in autonomous organizations under the HRD ministry. Sources said, Sanjeev Sharma of Meerut University and Ashwini Mahapatra of Jawaharlal Nehru University, both considered close to the Sangh, are among the top contenders for the post of member-secretary of the Indian Council for Social Science Research. "One of the two is also being considered for the post of a vice-chancellor," a source said. ICSSR has 27 top social science institutes under it, which it funds partially or fully.

Meanwhile, Baldev Sharma joined NBT on Tuesday. Talking to TOI, Sharma said his agenda is not divisive. "I do not want to segregate literature on the basis of caste and religion. The best of everything should come out." Sharma, who has also been a journalist in mainstream Hindi dailies, said, "NBT has made a great contribution in popularizing the great Indian knowledge tradition." However, he would like NBT to not only produce great literature but also actively work towards inculcating reading habits among children. "I would like NBT to hold workshops and seminars in small towns and rural India. A large part of India lives in small towns and like big cities people there should also be made aware of new books," he said. Sharma wants to target children since he thinks they are overburdened with course work and reading has been taken over by television.

Sharma was removed and so was organiser editor R Balashankar for allegedly not writing anything in support or against then BJP president Nitin Gadkari who was mired in various allegations of corruption.