[NDTV.com ]
Row over Bhojan mantra recitation in Rajasthan
Rajan Mahan
Sunday, October 3, 2004 (Jaipur):
Rajasthan government's decision to make the recital of bhojan mantras before meals in state-run hostels has sparked off a row.
As per the decision, over 20,000 students of the 527 hostels run by the Social Welfare Department will now get their food only after chanting the Hindu mantra.
"Before they start eating, if they sing these mantras which have been part of our tradition, they will imbibe better values," said Madan Dilawar, Social Welfare Minister, Rajasthan.
'Hindutva agenda'
The Congress and Muslim organisations allege that this is a conspiracy to ''Saffronize'' the government hostels and push the Hindutva agenda in the state.
They claim that enforcing a Hindu mantra in hostels with students of all religions violates the Constitution's secular spirit and will not be tolerated.
"In these hostels, we not only have Hindus, but also Sikhs, Muslims and Christians. So how can the bhojan mantras be forced on them? Nobody has the right to act contrary to the secular fabric of our Constitution," said former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot
The BJP government had also recently withdrawn nearly 200 communal cases and the ban on Trishuls or tridents in the state.
"They just removed the Trishul ban and now they are forcing this bhojan mantra. We feel these forces, including some ministers, want to turn our state into a Gujarat," alleged Mohammed Salim, President, Jamaat-e-Islami, Rajasthan.
Due to the model code of conduct in force for by-elections in the state, the bhojan mantra slated from October 2 has now been postponed by two weeks.
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