NEW DELHI: A move is afoot under the banner of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) to persuade the government to accord the status of national book to the Bhagavad Gita and make it mandatory in the school curriculum.
The national secretary of the VHP Radha Krishna Manodi on Thursday said that a delegation of 15 MPs will soon call on President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to submit a memorandum in support of according the status of national book to the Gita and making necessary changes in the school syllabus. Stating that lessons of the Gita are religion neutral, Manodi said that the utility of its teachings is well known and documented.
“Vishwa Gita Sansthan seeks to draw attention of the government on the usefulness of the Gita in providing intellectual prowess to society. We have sought time from the President and Prime Minister for wider discussions on our key points in gaining recognition for the Gita,” he said.
The VHP leader, who is also the founder of the World Gita Foundation, argued that the lack of a sense of duty among teachers despite being paid adequate remuneration is a cause of concern. “The decay in moral values and a similar trend in education are insults for the organised intellectual heritage of India. The Gita should be made mandatory for teachers’ training to sensitise them about their duties to the students,” said Manodi.
He also stated that each teacher must study chapters of the Gita and impart their lessons to students. The VHP leader also suggested that Gita weekly recitations be organised in each government department to help foster moral values among bureaucrats.