*For Arjun Singh, ‘Sri Rama’ spreads hatred*

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>*For Arjun Singh, ‘Sri Rama’ spreads hatred*>>S Gurumurthy>>Telling children to

yell ‘A’ for ‘apple’, ‘B’ for ‘biscuit’, ‘C’ for>‘chocolate’, and ‘D’ for

‘daddy’ is secular, and amounts to secular>education. This spreads harmony,

peace and understanding between>communities and religions. But asking them to

say ‘A’ for ‘Arjuna’, ‘B’>for ‘Bhima’, ‘C’ for ‘Chola’, and ‘D’ for ‘Damayanti’

is unsecular,>divisive education.>>Not just that. These names spread hatred

between religions, Gods, and>communities. Apples, biscuits, and chocolates will

bring about>understanding between Hindus and Muslims, between Hindus and

Christians,>between Christians and Muslims. But Arjuna and Bhima will do the

very>reverse; bring about war among Hindus and Muslims and between Hindus

and>Christians. This is Arjun Singh’s view of what spreads religious

harmony>and what spreads religious hate. This is the basis of the

UPA>government’s USP, de-saffronisation.>>It is on this logic that the UPA

government has decided to deny funds to>the Ekal Vidyalayas, or single teacher

schools, run by many Hindu>organisations. The Ekal Vidyalaya is a rapid

movement, a unique>experiment, to take education to tribal people living beyond

the reach>of the state and the market [read private sector]. In this

extraordinary>model, to interface the remote to the modern, a single teacher

becomes>the centre of all activities in a tribal village of a few hundred

homes.>He teaches them elementary education to begin with, and also

basic>hygiene, science, and other tools to handle the modern world which

they>are frightened to face.>>He also tells them about the greatness and

oneness of India. He tells>them stories of Rama and Krishna, Lakshmi and

Saraswati, Arjuna and>Bhima, Harischandra and Chandragupta. He familiarises

them with modern>society, which is otherwise difficult for them to handle.

There are now>over 15,000 single teacher schools in different corners of the

country,>in the remotest tribal centres. Even their worst detractors have

not>cited one instance of these schools engaging in any activity that

harmed>peace or harmony. These schools started some 25 years ago and have

been>running without any government aid.>>The Ekal movement, which is becoming

the Indian model even in Africa and>elsewhere, is planning to reach 100,000

single teacher schools in the>next decade. Very respectable persons are

associated with the movement.>Those who work in Ekal schools in tribal areas

cannot be hired through>employment exchanges or ads in newspapers. It requires

more than —>actually less — career orientation to get such workers. A very

high>level of motivation to serve the country needs to be

generated.>Organisations that sponsor these schools motivate thousands

of>youngsters to take to this hard form of delivering social service

with>nationalist orientation to distant brethren. In contrast,

missionaries>from the West who deliver social service in the North East are

also>highly motivated, but with a view to divide the Nagas and Mizos from

India!>>Why then are the Arjun Singhs inside the government and

Harkishen>Surjeets outside the government targetting Ekal Vidyalayas? Don’t

go>very far in search of reasons. That many of them are run by

RSS-trained>social workers is the real, hidden reason. But, Ekal Vidyalayas

cannot>be outlawed for their association with the RSS or VHP, which are

legal>organisations. Nevertheless, what the law does not

allow,>de-saffronisation accomplishes.>>In secular perspective the names of

Arjuna and Bhima, Rama and Krishna,>Lakshmi and Saraswati saffronise, spread

hate. So to de-saffronise,>outlaw Rama and Krishna themselves! One ground for

denying aid to the>Ekal movement is that students answer the roll call in Ekal

Vidyalayas>by saying ’Jai Shri Ram’, not ’Yes Sir’, when their names are

called.>Mahatma Gandhi would have died a thousand deaths were he to be

alive>today. He died when he was shot with the name of ’Rama’ on his lips,>even

as he lived by chanting the name of Rama always. The very Rama’s>name, says

Arjun Singh, now spreads hate. Arjun Singh brands himself as>a secular icon

precisely because he de-saffronises, that is, outlaws Rama.>>Why do seculars

fear Rama and Krishna? This is the reason. Secularism>fears a living Rama and

Krishna and would not be bothered were they not>a living reality in the

consciousness of India. The Bhagwat Gita makes>Krishna a living consciousness.

Ramayana instills eternal reverence for>Rama. Arjun Singh outlaws Rama and

Krishna only because they are>eternally part of the Indian consciousness. This

is precisely what>communism did in Russia. It derecognised living churches,

that is,>churches in which prayers were on and recognised the dead ones,

namely>those in which prayers had ceased!>>Like communism, secularism is

comfortable with the dead past and is>frightened of living heritage. Should

Gita and Ramayana lose their>relevance, the seculars will accept Krishna and

Rama. Does it mean that>secularism and de-saffronisation want to achieve this?

Yet, Rama and>Krishna will survive this kind of secularism too. But, how long

will>this secularism?>>/Writer’s email:

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