Teachers oppose Gita recitation in schools

Compulsory imposition of verses from a religious text may give rise to a feeling of discomfort and discrimination among followers of other religions SC/ST TEACHERS ASSOCIATION, UTTARAKHAND

- Amit Bathla

A state teachers’ organisation has urged the education government to take back its order to include recitation of shlokas of Bhagavad Gita in morning assembly, saying it is “against secularism and the Constitution”.

On Tuesday, the order to include verses from the Bhagavad Gita in the daily prayer meetings in schools came into effect. Following the decision, the Scheduled Caste-Scheduled Tribe Teachers Association, Uttarakhand, in its letter dated July 15 to director, secondary education Mukul Sati said Bhagavad Gita isa religious text, and Article 28 (1) of the Constitution of India clearly states that religious education can't be imparted in education institutions that are funded fully or partially by the state government.

“Compulsory imposition of verses from a religious text may give rise to a feeling of discomfort and discrimination among followers of other religions,” it said in the letter. They said that it received information about the education department's directive of recitation of Bhagavad shlokas during morning assembly in schools through newspapers.