Teachers, non-teaching staff and members of the management of Christian-run education institutions in and around Coimbatore staged a protest on Saturday against the Draft National Education Policy, 2016.
Led by Bishop of Coimbatore Diocese L. Thomas Aquinas, Superintendent of Roman Catholic Schools, Coimbatore Diocese, A. Maria Joseph and others, the protesters wanted the Central Government to give up the move to bring about a new education policy and withdraw the education policy as it was “anti-minority”.
The policy indirectly aimed at promoting Hindutva ideology and varnashrama dharma, which was brahminical in nature. It promoted gurukul system which lacked the salient features of modern education system.
Sanskritisation of Indian education system could not be allowed as India was a multi-lingual and multi-religious society and country, they said and added that the draft policy would only endanger secularism and pluralism in the country.
Plus, it had also ignored the contributions of scholars like Caldwell, Heeras and Abul Kalam Azad.
They wanted to know what was the use of Sanskritising Indian education system and promoting Yoga, which was not a panacea for all ills.
The Central Government should, therefore, give up the Draft National Education policy that was full of inconsistencies, flaws and procedural improprieties and against religious minorities.
Members from Erode, Karur and Tirupur also participated in the protest.
