By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net,
Bhopal: Intellectuals and faith-based organizations like Rashtriya Secular Munch and Harmony Foundation, have urged the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to keep off from imparting from religious education of one religion alone in government schools and government-aided schools in the state. They will soon meet the state Governor Ram Naresh Yadav and ask him to uphold the Indian constitution.
“We will also talk to all political parties to join the efforts to safe guard the Indian Constitution from being diluted day by day”, the organizers said. They also decided to hold different types of protests in the state capital Bhopal and all over the state to register their ire against the government’s move.
Meeting of intellectuals and religious heads in progress in Bhopal
There is a strong sense of protest and disturbance among secular circles of the state against the Chief Minister Chouhan’s announcement to include compulsorily “Geeta Saar” (summary of Hindu scripture Bhagwad Geeta) in schools syllabi in the state run and aided by the state government.
The meeting unanimously rejected the proposal of the state Government out-rightly as it violates the Indian Constitution’s secular credentials wherein it prohibits imparting religious education in schools of any one religion alone.
The Chief Minister had made the announcement while addressing a function of RSS run school at Indore. Mr. Chouhan, however, was unfazed by the opposition had reportedly said nobody could find anything wrong with the teachings of the Geeta which is a sacred text of Hindus.
Madhya Pradesh Muslim Educational Society chairman Ibrahim Qureshi said: “Teaching religion is the responsibility of the religious communities. Government should not step into the realm of religious education. Each religion should be taught by the teachers of each religion or no religious education should be imparted in the schools.”
Fr. Anand Muttungal, Catholic Church Spokesperson, said: “Teaching only one religion can divide the society on religious grounds. So, either teach important teachings of all religions or keep away religion from education”.