Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati calls for constitutional amendments

Minorities have the right to establish religious schools, but Hindus are deprived of this facility

Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati

Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh) – Dharma education is a fundamental right of our children. If necessary, the Constitution must be amended. Dharma education was once an integral part of our lives, but after independence, Article 30 of the Constitution brought significant changes. It granted minorities the right to establish and run educational institutions on a religious basis, while the majority community was deprived of this right. As a result, even after 75 years, Hindu children remain completely deprived of religious education and are being forced towards religious conversions, stated Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati of Jyotirmath, Joshimath, Uttarakhand, during the ‘Dharma Sansad’ held at Maha Kumbha Kshetra.

Demand for Hindu children’s right to Dharma education

Shankaracharya further declared: 

“The ‘Param Dharma Sansad’ hereby proclaims that Dharma education is a fundamental right of every Hindu child. If required, the Constitution must be amended to ensure that every Hindu child receives proper arrangements and an environment to study their Dharma. Human life has multiple dimensions, and religion is an essential part of it.”

He elaborated:

“Our entire lives are governed by Dharma, and from an early age, education must teach us its principles, laws, and essence. The saying ‘Dharmeṇa hīnāḥ paśubhiḥ samānāḥ’ means that without Dharma, human life is equivalent to that of animals. In ancient times, when students completed their education and returned home from Gurukul, their Gurus would instruct them during the convocation ceremony: ‘Satyaṁ vada, Dharmaṁ chara’—which means ‘Speak the truth and live a righteous life based on Dharma.’”