The RSS on Friday advocated the learning of English as a “career language”, an unfamiliar territory for an organisation prone to complain about too much primacy being given to English in education, governance and business at the cost of Hindi.

RSS joint general secretary C.R. Mukunda’s comment came as he backed a three-language education formula — another rare move for the Sangh — prescribing the learning of the mother tongue, regional language and English without any direct reference to Hindi.

It seemed an attempt to gloss over the outfit’s “Hindi-Hindu-Hindustan” image to try and counter the DMK’s “Hindi imposition” allegation at the saffron brigade.

Tamil Nadu’s ruling party claims the Centre’s three-language education policy is an underhand way of introducing Hindi into the southern state’s school curriculum.

Mukunda, responding to a media question over the language row in Tamil Nadu — which he termed “politically motivated” — portrayed the three-language policy as one necessary to meet the requirements of modern-day life, marked by geographical mobility.

“Every person, not just in the school system but in society too, has to learn multiple languages. One is our mother tongue, another would be the regional language or the market language (of the place) where we live,” he said.

“If I live in Tamil Nadu, I have to learn Tamil. If I live in Delhi, I must learn Hindi because I have to converse with the local people in the market,” he added. “For some people, a career language is also needed. If it is English, he or she must also learn that for his or her career. So, career language is there, regional language is there, and the mother tongue, on which the RSS always stresses.”

Mukunda did not directly address the DMK’s key question: Why should a Tamilian who lives in Tamil Nadu need to learn a third language apart from Tamil and English? However, his stress on “mother tongue” rather than Hindi seemed a tactical move to counter the DMK’s “Hindi imposition” charge.

The RSS has in recent times been trying to shed its image as a band of Hindi zealots, keen to undermine regional Indian languages as well as English. It had to go into damage control early this month after senior leader Suresh Bhaiyyaji Joshi faced a backlash for saying Mumbai residents need not learn Marathi.

However, the RSS had by 2018 begun promoting the “mother tongue” as opposed to advocating Hindi for all Indians. It passed a resolution that year saying “primary education across the country should be in mother tongue”.

“Preference should be given to Bharatiya languages in all governmental and judicial works. In addition to this, Bharatiya languages should be encouraged in governmental and non-governmental appointments, promotions and all kinds of functions...,” the resolution said.

But the old grudge against English persisted: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat in 2019 demanded the education system be revamped to remove the perception that one could earn good money only if one knew English.

Mukunda’s remarks on Friday seemed a step towards taking the organisation out of this mindset, even if as a tactical sacrifice forced by the need to fight the DMK’s “Hindi imposition” cry.

The RSS leader was addressing the media on the opening day of the three-day annual meeting of the Sangh’s highest decision-making body, the Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha, in Bengaluru.