Press Statement : NAPM writes to Karnataka CM Condemning Compulsory Teaching of Geeta in Schools

National Alliance of People’s Movements

New Delhi, July 21, 2011

Sri B S Yeddyurappa
Chief Minister, State of Karnataka

Dear Yeddyurappa ji,

Quoting Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri, Karnataka’s Education Minister, there are reports in the media that “The Geeta teaching has been made compulsory in every educational institution in Karnataka and those who disagree should leave the nation”.

The above statement is in tune with the divisive reactionary politics practiced by the Sangh Parivar, and it is not the first time that such ‘advices’ have been given. This kind of divisive politics suits all communal individuals and organisations, because all of you employ religion as a cover for furtherance of the agenda of reactionary ideology and politics, and are not concerned with the spiritual liberating aspects of religions.

The reactionary politics resulted in the bifurcation of our country and mayhem at the time of independence; and communal ideology and practice has been responsible for the recurrent large scale violence, commonly known as communal riots, in independent India. Such statements shift the focus away from the uniting needs of bread and butter of the common people, and prepare climate conducive for divisive reactionary politics.

We understand that these are the tactics of the Parivar to deflect people’s attention from the malpractices of your administration, and get them embroiled in a deliberately created divisive issue of compulsory Geeta teaching. After all, for the Sangh Parivar, Geeta is not a source of spiritual inspiration, but compulsory Geeta teaching in schools is a ploy to propagate reactionary ideology and politics.

NAPM condemns any such move and urge you to withdraw such circular and respect the secular and democratic ethos of the Indian Constitution.

Medha Patkar, Sandeep Pandey, Faisal khan, Sister Celia, Maj Gen (Retd) Sudhir Vombatkere, Gabriele Dietrich, B Ramakrishna Raju, Sarasvaty Kavula, Anand Mazgaonkar, Madhuresh Kumar


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