Teaching Hinduism in India. (copy to QCA and Edexcel)

[Guest guest]

Interesting email from Dr H Chaudary....................jay Vivekananda

Centre

 

~~~~~Teaching Hinduism to the Hindu youngsters in India~~~~~~~~~

 

Dear .............

 

We are delighted that you are teaching Hinduism in London. You are doing a

great job for Bharat and the world. Here in India in the name of

'secularism'

teaching Mahabharata, Bhagavata or Ramayana is prohibited, not to talk of

Hinduism. But Koran and Bible could be taught. We are de-Hinduising

Indians so that they are becoming prey to the proselytisers and also become

resident-non-Indians.

 

I will be grateful if you can send the syllabus that you have drawn

up for the schools where you are teaching Hinduism a voluntary organization.

Society for Peace and Integrated Rural Development (an NGO) is launching a

movement to teach Indian culture, civilization and history and literature in

colleges as an extra subject. We will be taking inspiration from you and

shape the content from the syllabus you have brought.

We will be pleased in keeping you on our mailing list monthly Journal

Bharatiya Pragna. We would be also be grateful if you can write an article

on the scheme of teaching Hinduism in the London Schools and other places in

UK.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

If you have got some more information about how the Government of UK is

encouraging youngsters from different faiths to learn about their own faiths

in their schools even if such schools are getting financial aid from the

Government. This would help us a lot to once again but with the example of

UK to urge upon the President and the Prime Minister of India for

reorienting education in the country. Sent herewith is the memorandum we

have all signed to Prime Minister and President.

With regards,

Dr T H Chowdary

Information Technology Advisor: Government of Andhra Pradesh : Center for Telecom Management & Studies

Plot No. 8, P & T Colony, Karkhana (Secunderabad), Hyderabad - 500 009.

E-Mail: thc

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Our response ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Dear Dr Chowdary,

 

The theme that has sustained the Indian civilisation for thousands

of years has been its emphasis on the spiritual rather than secular

dimension of our lives. As your email suggests (so pitifully), India now

wishes to learn (from the British example), how religious education can be

encouraged in its schools? What an unusual state of affairs!

 

We came across a news item suggesting that the Shankracharya of

Kanchi is also trying to set up an classes in Hinduism for the youth.

Better late than never!

 

We have been encouraging Hindu bodies in India and in other parts

of the world to set up schemes similar to the one used by us in the UK

to promote Hindu education.

 

We, Hindus possess such marvellous material that is not only a

treasure for us but for the whole of mankind. Yet we fail to

recognise this. If we look at the history of India, we notice that

every time this nation has stopped emphasising spirituality - the

moral and social fabric of the nation has quickly deteriorated.

One recent survey showed India to be one of the most corrupt nations

in the world today. Corruption at every level of society is rife.

Can we wonder why? Until we regain our poise, and re-emphasis

spiritual teachings we are doomed to languish in this manner.

 

We will be very pleased to share our educational resources with any

Hindu body that wishes to set up classes in Hinduism in any part of the

world.

 

We will send a copy of this email message to the head of

Religious Education at the UK Government body called the

QCA. This body regulates religious educational work in the British

Schools. We will request them to send you the guidelines used

in Britain to promote religious education.

 

regards

jay lakhani

Vivekananda Centre London

http://www.vivekananda.co.uk

[Guest guest]

Hello,

 

In the history books we have been studying about the Acharayas and the

all the other saints, in the language books we have been reading the work of

jains, veerashaivas and the madhvas which had a great influence on the

society in Karnataka State. I had to read the Mahabharata written by 3 or 4

different authors in my text books. It is not possible for everybody to turn

towards religion inspite of this input. Those who do, need not necessarily

go towards the VHP or the RSS classes. There are numerous places to

practice once sadhana like the Ramakrishna Ashram, Yogada Satsang, Chinmaya

Mission etc. As one of the members had pointed out earlier we practice and

live religion in India. Not just utter the hymns beautifully in the temple

or attend the moral science classes and forget about it.

 

There is a christian school before my house in India. Every morning they

utter the hymn " Asato ma sadgamaya ... " , apart from " Give me O Lord my daily

bread .... " (Pardon me for the mistakes). I am myself from the Ramakrishna

Vidyashala, Mysore (Ramakrishna Mission School, Mysore) and we chant the

prayers in the morning and evening and the Geeta before our food. This is

apart from the moral science classes that we have. Even the Nuns from the

convent where I did my primary and middle school have a very high esteem

towards the Mission school and they were proud that one of their boys was

joining there.

 

Almost at every nook and corner " Ayappa Swami " Bhajans go on in the

morning and evening (using the loudspeaker), disturbing everybody's sleep,

just like the namaz from the mosque does.

 

regards,

--Sunil

 

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