Why No ‘Gita’ Recitation in Schools?

"To learn to read is to light a fire.

Every syllable that is spelled out is a spark." -

 - Victor Hugo

 Victor Hugo, (1802- 1885), the great French poet, novelist, and dramatist, once considered a national hero and a living symbol of republicanism in France, would not have imagined in his wildest dreams that a day would arrive where one of his famous quotes '“There is in every village a torch - the teacher; and an extinguisher - the priest”, would suddenly start reverberating across a section of learned people engaged in educating future generations in far away India, rather discreetly.

Close on the heels of an intervention by concerned citizens/activists on education in Uttar Pradesh, to stop Ramayana and Vedic workshops in Schools, as it violates Article 28 of the Constitution that specifically enjoins the State not to use public funds for religious instruction, one has come across two important and bold interventions from honourable members of the teaching community themselves, especially in the Hindi belt.

FIR For Asking 'Light the Lamp of Knowledge'?

The police case against a school teacher from Bareilly for a Kanwad song is a case in point. The 'offence' of the teacher, Rajneesh Gangwar, is that he was singing a song in front of students asking them "not to bring kanwars", instead "go light the lamp of knowledge'. A purported video of the incident, has gone viral.

Remember this is the season of what is known as Kanwar Yatra, of late a very popular phenomenon, especially in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and adjoining areas where people, devotees of Shiva, undertake an annual pilgrimage to Haridwar, Gaumukh and Gangotri (Uttarakhand) etc., to bring the holy waters of Ganges River, carrying it on their shoulder to local village temples.

With the ascent of Hindutva politics at the Centre, State patronage to this religious procession has seen a quantum jump. UP Police personnel, at times senior officials, are known to sprinkle rose petals on these pilgrims from helicopters or other vehicles. It was only last year that “[t]housands of trees were axed in Uttar Pradesh to make way for a new Kanwar Yatra route “not as per rules” and without “final approval”, according to a report submitted to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) by the Forest Survey of lndia.

It was mind boggling to witness how a total of 17,607 trees were cut in Ghaziabad, Meerut, and Muzaffarnagar districts of UP to make way for the new 111-km Kanwar Yatra route, as per data provided by the Public Works Department of the UP government.

Coming back to the song, apropos there is nothing 'divisive' or 'inflammatory' in it or nor does it have the possibility of 'creating a disaffection' against a section of people. If one listens to it carefully, one learns that it essentially reiterates what the Indian Constitution enjoins every citizen to do -- to promote scientific temper and oppose superstition etc. No doubt that if some overenthusiastic members of the ruling dispensation, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would not have reacted so strongly, the issue would have been long forgotten.

Legal scholars and professionals also shared their view that this case against the teacher would be quashed in the courts if pursued earnestly.

In an ambiance suffused with religiosity promoting a majority religion, this call to the students to 'light the lamp of knowledge', asking them to focus on their studies, visit libraries, instead of following their family elders in this yearly ritualistic procession -- and save time for studies -- could also be seen as a not so direct resistance coming from the teachers themselves, to the ill thought policies of the government, or their daring to criticise people holding the reins of power who are engaged in mixing of religion with politics, which is harmful to the purpose of education.

Daily One Gita Shloka in Government Schools!

What is worth emphasising is that neighbouring Uttarakhand is also not silent over similar attempts at  intrusion of religious instruction in schools.

It is remarkable that there, a section of teachers themselves have unitedly opposed the BJP-led state government’s decision to make the recital of at least one shloka from the Bhagavad Gita mandatory during morning prayers in schools, terming it an “anti-Constitutional diktat”. [

The president of the Scheduled Caste-Scheduled Tribe Teachers’ Association was crystal clear about what should and what should not be taught in government schools. Talking to reporters Sanjay Kumar Tamta, the president of the association, made a few important points:

One, Gita is a religious text and preaching religion in school is against Article 28(1) of the Constitution.

Two, students of various religions study in government schools, and it is unwise to force them to read the text of a particular religion.

Three, the teachers’ association has already written to the education department asking them to withdraw this order as it is against our Constitution

Four, if the state government does not reconsider their decision, they have already made plans to move the court to remind the government that it is a violation of the Constitution.

As per the Uttarakhand education department officials, the said order has been issued on the direction of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and teachers would have to explain the principle of the shlokas to students and ensure that their teachings “reflect in the life and behaviour of the students”.

The question arises: Why does a state government, working under a secular Constitution, which essentially means separation of religion from politics or running of the State or at a popular level is construed as 'equal respect to all religions' (Sarv Dharm Sadbhav), expects that a particular religious view should 'help mould students' coming from various religions.

More importantly, in a modern age, where the role of religion in social and political life is slowly getting marginalised, as opposed to the medieval age - where religion dominated not only the temporal but the spiritual world as well -- perhaps such a yardstick should no more be held as a matter of consideration.

Religious Instruction Under Garb of Indian Knowledge System

What is concerning is that this intrusion of religious instruction of the majority religion is being undertaken as part of students learning the basis of traditional Indian knowledge system under the National Education Policy, 2020. It does not need great wisdom to understand that it has been designed to circumvent what the Constitution enjoins its citizens to do.

With the ascent of Right-wing governments in different parts of the world, similar regressions have been noticed elsewhere. The manner in which the idea of ‘creationism’ has caught fancy among many states of the US, as opposed to the scientific theory of evolution propounded by Darwin, is just an example to illustrate this.

No doubt countries of the Third World seem to be more susceptible to such onslaughts. One can look at well known physicist and human rights activists Pervez Hoodbhoy’s writings, who has been discussing consistently the plight of Pakistani education that has been shaped by the Military-Mullah complex there, and how it has led to transformation of Pakistani universities from becoming “[b]eacons of enlightenment, open inquiry, and bold new thinking” to “sheep farms.”

Whether India, which had displayed lot of promise at the time of Independence and had made strenuous efforts to embark a path emphasising scientific temper, would be able to reinvigorate this spirit once again, contrary to what the ascendant Hindutva Right-wing desires, is now a key question.

The writer is a senior independent journalist. The views are personal.