Omkar Dattatray
BJP is doing everything possible to revive and revisit Bhargava roots of the country and is making great strides in the direction of gaining space for its Hindutva philosophy. The latest in this list is the plan and program for the inclusion of the treasure Bhagvad Gita in the school curriculum in the BJP ruled states of Gujarat perhaps on experimental basis. Since the assembly elections in Gujarat are round the corner and the saffron party does wants to bounce back to power and as such it is taking such issues and agendas which it thinks will make it possible for the BJP to again win the elections and as such the party has started to implement its plan of including Bhagvad Gita in school syllabus so that the young generation comes to know about the teachings of Gita and becomes conversant with this spiritual treasure. Thus has the Gujarat BJP made up its mind to include the Bhagvad Gita in the school syllabus just before the assembly elections so that the party is in a position to once again win the elections and also the Hindutva agenda is followed and implemented in letter and spirit.It is not that only in Gujarat state only the Bhagvad Gita will be included in school curriculum but in all the BJP ruled states the school children will be taught lessons on the treatise of Bhagvad Gita so that the young generation will know its roots and be conversant with the philosophy of Hindutva and Hinduism and revive and revisit its roots. The beginning for the inculcating the teachings of the Bhagvad Gita to school children will be started from the BJP ruled state of Gujarat and other BJP ruled states will also include Gita in the school syllabus and fallow suit. The inclusion of the Bhagvad Gita in school curriculum should not stir a political controversy in the country as has happened on the subject of the school uniform and dress code in Karnataka and later spread to the length and breadth of India. Bhagvad Gita is not a religious book of Hindus only but it is a spiritual treasure for whole universe and has universal applicability and it is a way of life and is a book of philosophy. There is no harm in including the Gita in school syllabus but the teachings of the spiritual treasure of Gita will elevate the young generation to spiritual heights besides making them aware about their roots and culture and so it should be taught as a discipline in the schools throughout the country but the beginning has to be made by the BJP ruled states which will then be replicated in other states as well. The teachings of the Gita will help the children to become duty conscious as they will learn to work hard without the looking to the fruits of the work and as such people will become true Karamyogi and this will help the nation in achieving great strides in works and endeavors. Thus the teaching of Gita in schools will help the children to become true patriots and nationalists and they will understand and appreciate the principle of work is worship and will become duty conscious. The including and teaching of Gita will attach children with their roots and culture and the love and attachment for ones roots will be made possible. Thus reviving and revisiting ones culture and roots will become practical by the inclusion of Gita in school syllabus and thus it should not be made a subject of controversy. We should not be far away from our roots and culture and the modern English education and the Macaulay’s model of education distances us from our roots and rich cultural heritage and so is the BJP ruled states going to introduce the Gita in school syllabus. The Macaulay ‘s system of education only makes good ‘Babus’ and does not lead to the all-round development of the multifaceted personality, but the teaching of Gita will enable the society to have balanced men and women to man the positions. However everything is politicized in our country and so the inclusion of the Gita in school syllabus is also bound to stir political controversy which is uncalled and unwarranted as well as untenable and should not happen in our society. But the so called secular and liberal lobby will create political controversy on the theme of including the Gita in school curriculum. The inclusion of GIta in school syllabus will in no way damage the secular and plural ethos but it will instead develop humanity and universal understanding and it will also help the children to understand the principle of ‘Vasudev Kutumbkam’ or one world family and then how will the inclusion of Gita in school syllabus lead to communal disharmony. The teachings of the principles of Gita will further mutual brotherhood and communal harmony and in no way it will lead to disintegration. The Gita unites and does not lead to disunity in the secular and plural society. Therefore the teaching of Gita in schools will lead to essential unity in our diverse society and thus unity in diversity will be further strengthened. So there should be no noise on the important subject of including the Gita in school syllabus. It will revive and help to revitalize our cultural moorings and will help to bind and connect us with our roots and rich culture and so Hindutva will be made a practical Philosophy and therefore there should be no objection to the inclusion and teaching Gita in schools. The inclusion of Gita in school curriculum will make us noble and practical persons by developing our individual personalities. Since the Gita teaches us that the whole world is one family and so the inclusion and teaching of Gita will inculcate the feeling of oneness and so the question of disharmony and disunity does not arise at all.Some time earlier there was a political and religious controversy over the subject of dress code and uniform in the schools of Karnataka and the controversy spread to other states of the country as well. The super secularists used the Hijab controversy to gain political mileage and dividends and it spread like wild fire. The Hijab controversy reached to the High court of Karnataka and it pronounced its verdict and opined that the Hijab is not compulsory in the religion of Islam and so the children and students should come in the uniform of the institution and not in Hijab. It is very unfortunate that a trifle issue was magnified by the secularists and so called liberals and it haunted our society for so many days. Now that the Judiciary has given its verdict on the Hijab issue the controversy should stop and all should respect and accept the court’s decision. There should be no fresh controversy on the subject of including Gita in school syllabus as Gujarat government has ordered to include Gita in school curriculum and all should welcome it and embrace the inclusion of Gita in school Syllabus. The BJP should not impose its version of extreme Hinduism but there is no harm in teaching soft Hindutva to school children as it is all inclusive and all embracing and there is nothing communal in it and so the children should be taught the principles of Gita and encouraged to connect and embrace its roots and culture. Thus going back to our culture and heritage and embracing the principles of the Karma-Yoga, Jana-Yoga and Bhakti-Yoga and selecting one from these philosophies should be our endeavor and this will help us to become balanced personalities. Therefore it is in the fitness of things to say that the philosophies enshrined in the treasure of Bhagvad Gita will essentially make our children’s personalities balanced and practical and therefore no futile noise should be made by the secular-liberal lobby. Thus the Gita should be made a part and parcel of school syllabus throughout the country and the beginning in this direction has been made by Gujarat state and other BJP ruled states and others as well should fall in line in the days to come. The Bhagavad Gita is a spiritual treasure and treatise and it has got universal applicability and it is not the book of Hindus only and as such it should be included in school syllabus. Even Gandhi had said that religious education should be imparted to children in schools to make them noble citizens and so there is no harm in in inclusion of Gita in school syllabus. There is difference between religious education and the education about the religions and the latter should be given in the schools. In short the BJP is doing well to include the Gita in school curriculum inthe states ruled by it and the beginning in this regard is done in Gujarat and it is hoped that others will also follow it. It is a good attempt by BJP to do Bhagavakarnor saffronisation and revive and revitalize our roots and embrace our rich cultural heritage and so no one should have any reservation about it.
(The author is a Columnist and
Social Activist).