Oppn fumes as the BJP govt in Haryana plans to introduce Bhagvad Gita in schools

Chandigarh: In what is being seen as a subtle move to provide a Hindutva orientation to education, the Manohar Lal Khattar-led BJP government in Haryana plans to introduce ‘Bhagvad Gita’ in government schools. The government’s plan was revealed recently by Haryana Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma. While making the announcement, Sharma termed the Bhagvad Gita, “the Supreme source of culture and human values in society”. According to sources, an expert team is likely to be set up in the state soon to prepare a framework to disseminate the teachings enshrined in the Gita in schools and institutions of higher learning. The Haryana government may make the learning of Gita optional for the students which may lessen its opposition by people who are non-Hindus. “Gita is not exactly a religious text. It is a way of life. It is universal knowledge,” said a government functionary. [caption id=“attachment_2068555” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. AFP[/caption] The BJP government’s move came close on the heels of the suggestion made by Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in Delhi in presence of Manohar Lal Khattar and Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev at the Gita Mahotsava that the Bhagvad Gita should be declared a ’national scripture’. Sushma Swaraj also said that since Prime Minister Narendra Modi had gifted the Gita to US President Barack Obama earlier, it meant that it had received the honour of a national scripture. But many parliamentarians had criticised the statement saying it was against the secular fabric of the country. Haryana government’s move to introduce Gita may find opposition from various communities in the state. Opposition parties in Haryana — the Congress and the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) — are not convinced by the BJP government’s logic. Those opposed to the idea feel that the BJP government’s move in Haryana is to propagate Hindutva agenda of the saffron party. The logic given by them is that Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar himself is an RSS ideologue. Those opposed to the idea feel the move is another progression of the Hindutva agenda of the saffron party, especially given the strong RSS lineage of Chief Minister Khattar. Digvijay Chautala, president of Indian National Students Organisation (INSO), the student’s wing of the INLD, called it a wrong move by the Haryana government. “We are going to oppose BJP government’s move tooth and nail. Our party’s representative in Parliament, Dushyant Chautala is going to raise the sensitive issue in the House in the next session. We are not going to let the BJP spread disharmony in the state,” he told Firstpost. “Haryana does not consist of Hindus only. People of all religions, caste and community are its citizens. How can the government just teach Bhagvad Gita, the religious scripture of the Hindus? We believe in ‘Sarv dharm, sarv samaj’ (all religions, all communities) concept, while the BJP is indulging in communal politics. Gita’s teachings in temples and religious institutions is fine. If the government wants to teach a Hindu scripture in schools, then it must also include other scriptures such as Quran, Bible, Gurbani and other such texts. If the government goes ahead without with the teaching of only Gita then we will oppose the move in a peaceful and democratic manner,” said Digvijay. The Haryana Congress is also opposed to the BJP move on introducing the Gita in government schools. “The BJP has a jaundiced eye and is known for making such shagufas (jokes) time and again. It should desist from taking any such action on sensitive matters. In principle, we are not opposed to the teaching of the Bhagvad Gita, a revered book of all Hindus. But think of other religions. If we promote Gita we cannot forget scriptures of other religions. If the BJP is so intent in its move than perhaps it should make an amalgamation of scriptures of other religions to introduce a text in educational institutions,’’ said Ran Singh Mann, Haryana Congress spokesman. According to Karamvir Boudh, president of Confederation of SC/ST/BC Organisations, Haryana, who is a follower of Buddhism, teaching of Bhagvad Gita in government schools would be acceptable only if other religious texts are given equal importance. “Along with Gita, teachings of Gautam Buddha, Mahavir Jain, Bible, Quran, Gurbani etc. must also be introduced. If the BJP government does so it will earn respect of all religions and communities. Otherwise it will lead to unnecessary communal tension,” he said. Panjab University teacher, Professor Manjeet Singh, who has been a think tank of the Aam Admi Party (AAP) in Punjab, said that the BJP’s move was against the constitutional spirit of the country and should be avoided. According to Haryana Congress president, Ashok Tanwar, teachings of the Bhagvad Gita are universal, but BJP’s intention of introducing it in schools was rather dubious. However, Neeraj Makkar, a professional, welcomed the government’s move. “Bhagvad Gita has all the worldly knowledge incorporated in it. It gives us the right vision, and the right way to live life. It tells us how ‘dharm’ always reigns supreme over ‘adharm’. Every Indian must have knowledge of this great scripture. I welcome the wise move of the Manohar Lal Khattar government,” he said. Earlier Haryana government had appointed RSS ideologue, Dinanath Batra to advise the BJP government on education. He will be part of a new committee of educationists. Batra, who runs the Shiksha Bachao Andolan Samiti, has been a controversial author and also a social activist who believes in recasting Indian history from the perspective of the Hindu right. According to Haryana Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma the government decided to choose Dinanath Batra because he was a well-known educationist. Batra, a one-time RSS pracharak, who had been the Principal of Gita School in Kurukshetra earlier and was responsible for the pulping of American scholar Wendy Doniger’s book on Hinduism for allegedly offending religious sentiments.