After Gujarat, Karnataka all set to introduce Bhagavad Gita in school syllabus

Bengaluru: After Gujarat, the BJP government in Karnataka is all set to introduce the Bhagavad Gita in the school syllabus.

According to sources, the education department, though giving diplomatic statements in this regard, is preparing to teach the Bhagavad Gita, the holy Hindu scripture to students under the moral science subject.

However, Congress has maintained that the present syllabus has been prepared by resourceful persons and there is no need to include anything now. Education Minister B.C. Nagesh, reacting to the issue on Friday, said that a decision will be taken on mandating the teachings of Bhagavad Gita to school children under moral science subject after consultation with Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai. Minister Nagesh stated that the demand is growing for inclusion of moral science in the syllabus of children. In Gujarat, they are planning to implement it in three phases. In the first phase they have introduced Bhagavad Gita, he said.

"I will discuss with C.M Bommai in the coming days for implementation of the moral science subject in the syllabus for school children," he said. "The moral science classes were held once a week when we studied in school. In the coming days, we will see whether this could be adopted in the State syllabus," he said.

"If everything is agreed upon, we will consult education experts and decide on the aspects and syllabus of the moral science subject. The duration of the class will also be fixed. Why Bhagavad Gita should not be taught to the children?" Minister Nagesh questioned.

Former Union Minister for External Affairs S.M. Krishna used to say that he would read the Bhagavad Gita every day and that gave him strength. In this country, all tall leaders, elders who have thought about the nation have talked highly about the Bhagavad Gita. "Whether we introduce Bhagavad Gita or not, the education experts should tell us. They might suggest Bhagavad Gita, Ramayan, moral stories or they might also recommend a few portions of Quran and Bible, he explained. "When you ask someone how a well cultured society can take shape in the absence of schools and universities from the times immemorial in the country? The elders say that they read or heard about Ramayan, Mahabharath and Bhagavad Gita," he said.

Mahatma Gandhi, in his autobiography, has written that his mother's teachings on Ramayana and Mahabharath during his childhood days helped him evolve as a truthful person. He also said that Satya Harishchandra enactment also influenced him to be truthful, Minister Nagesh explained.

Minister for Large and Medium Industries Murugesh Nirani stated that Bhagavad Gita has human values and children need to learn about those values. The government of Gijarat has taken a decision to add Bhagavad Gita in the syllabus and a decision should be taken in Karnataka also to introduce it, he said. BJP senior leader M.P. Renukacharya stated that he would welcome the decision to include Bhagavad Gita in the syllabus. Young BJP MLA Kudachi Rajiv stated that he has been reading Bhagavad Gita for last 10 years and it is one of the best literatures available in the world. D.K. Shivakumar, State Congress President, has stated that there are lessons on Ramayan, Bhagavad Gita and other religious holy books in the syllabus. There is no need to glorify anything now, he opined. "I have opposed the National Education Policy (NEP) in the beginning. The present syllabus includes everything. There is no necessity to add anything new to it. There is nothing left for BJP to take credit. Our Late Chief Minister Kengal Hanumanthaiah had distributed copies of the Bhagavad Gita for Rs 2," he said.