Attend Gita classes or leave India: Karnataka minister

Mangalore Today / PTI

Bangalore, July 20: A circular issued by the zKarnataka government has asked teachers to set aside three hours a week for classes on the Bhagwad Gita, which hasn’t gone down well with the 8,600 minority schools in the State. Education Minister Vishveshwar Hegde Kageri said that any protestors against the Gita classes should leave the country.

 

"Only those who want to promote religious ideologies of foreign countries are protesting the Bhagwad Gita classes. If they want to promote their ideologies, they have no place in this country. They should leave," Kageri said.

The minority schools petitioned to the Governor on Tuesday to Kageri from his post.

Minorities Instiutions’ Federation Chairman C R Mohammed Imtiaz said, "It’s unconstitutional. It’s a breach of the oath he’s taken. We’ve asked the governor to dismiss him."

The Karnataka government now says that the Gita classes are not compulsory for all schools to implement.

State Govt spokesperson S Prakash said, "Some motivated people are trying to create a controversy… It’s not a government programme. It’s a programme by a private mutt. The government has only said to make it available one hour for."

The issue is not whether learning the Gita is compulsory or voluntary, the issue is school hours and school resources are being used to teach a particular religion and that’s being seen as an attempt at saffronisation.

"Tomorrow someone will want to teach the Quran and the Bible. If religious books are for studying in school, what’s the fate of students? Let Kageri make special arrangements to teach the Gita in temples and mutts. We’re also proud of our religion," said CR Mohammed Imtiaz.

However, The BJP has come out strongly in support for the implementation of the Gita classes saying that it is just moral education that will be taught to the students.

BJP Spokesperson S Prakash said, "When you want to teach moral education to students, you shouldn’t think of it as waste of resources. Schools are not spending any money. The mutt is organising it. There is nothing wrong in it."

Whether it is right or wrong will be decided by the High Court soon which will take up the case from Thursday onwards.