Udupi: Govt. campaign to teach Bhagavathgeetha in High Schools protested

By Snehalatha, Udupi
Bellevision Media Network

Udupi, 15 July 2011: Various progressive associations conducted protest in front of D.C. Office against the government campaign to teach Bhagavathgeetha in High Schools and submitted appeal to the Governor through  Deputy Commissioner on Thursday. In the appeal they have urged that the government should immediately withdraw their campaign of teaching Bhagavathgeetha in High Schools and also the Police case filed against the S.F.I. activists in Bellary is to be withdrawn.

 
Speaking on this occasion Jayan Malpe from Karnataka Dalitha Sangharsha Samithi said that the state government is supporting the teaching of Bhagavathgeetha in Schools with the intention of destroying the communal harmony.  Louis Lobo the President of the Udupi unit of the Association International Fedaration of Karnataka Christian Association (IKFCA) said that, if it is the intention of the government that by teaching of religious scriptures there is benefit for the children, then let them teach also the Bible and Quran, he urged.

 

Karnataka Dalitha Sauharda Vedike District Correspondent G. Rajashekar said that, teaching of religion in school is inexcusable, where actually the knowledge and science should be taught. That too the government which represent all the religions working on behalf of only one religion shows that it is  not working in the interest of the people. Teaching Bhagavathgeetha or any other religious scripture is wrong, this is not the aim of the school. If the government do not withdraw their decision then fierce fight will have to be conducted against it, he warned the government.

 
Faniraj of Karnataka Komu Sauharda Vedike spoke on the occasion and said that, State Education Minister Kageri has said that the government has not made it compulsory to teach Bhagavathgeetha in schools. But the Ballary zone Education Officer (B.E.O.) has issued order to all the schools; to teach Bhagavathgeetha, to train two teachers on this from each school, to distribute CDs and books of Bhagavathgeetha, seems it is purely the government program. Government is cheating the people by lying about it, he said. If any Mutt teaches Bhagavathgeetha we do not have any objection, Mutt has the right to do so. But there is no provision in the constitution for the government to teach religious scriptures in their aided schools, he said.

 
In the protest Cyril Mathias of District Minority Vedike, Kasim Barkur of Muslim Federation, from Catholic Sabha; Jerald Pinto of, Louis Almeida, Alfonsa D’Costa, Dr. Nerry Carnelio of Indian Christian Federation, Akbar Ali of Jamat E Islami, Husain Kodibengre of Students Islamic Organization, Sundari Nejar of Dalit Women Union, Vasu Nejar and hundreds from various associations had participated. Karnataka Komu Sauharda Vedike Secretary Dinakara Bengre had coordinated this protest program.