Parents of children enrolled in a government-aided school in Tumakuru city have taken umbrage over the management allegedly making it compulsory for students to purchase a copy of the Bhagavad Gita and recite it once a week.
They have complained to their MLA about the alleged rule adopted by Vidyaniketan High School at Saraswathipuram.
Acting on the complaints, Block Education Officer Basavaraj, who visited the school on Saturday, instructed the headmaster not to make it compulsory, as parents were uncomfortable with it. “The headmaster of the school told me that every Friday after their morning prayer, all students are made to read the 15th stanza of the Bhagavad Gita for 5 minutes in the prayer hall before going to class.”
Mr. Basavaraj added that the headmaster told him the Bhagavad Gita was available in the market for ₹7, and that the school had not received any complaints so far.
MLA Rafiq Ahmed told The Hindu: “Some parents approached me about the matter, and said they would protest if the school continued with the practice. Hence, I spoke to the Block Education Officer.” However, when contacted, the secretary of the school, Jayaram Rao, claimed that the reading was not compulsory.
