Rajasthan : Parents protest against a school for weaning children away from the Hindu culture

Kota (Rajasthan, 16^th July) – A private school here is embroiled in a row over a textbook used to tutor Class 2 students. The book contains Urdu terms and names. According to reports, the book is being read by the majority of non-Muslim pupils. The students in Class 2 are taught, through this book called Gulmohar, to call their parents Ammi and Abbu. The 113-page book costs Rs 352.

The ‘Gulmohar Book’ given to Class 2 children at Shiv Jyoti Convent School has many words that have angered parents. The family members alleged that the children have started asking for Biryani after reading this book and non-Muslim children have also started calling their parents Ammi and Abbu.

Rajasthan: Parents in Kota protest against a school for weaning children away from the Hindu culture, teaching them to call parents ‘Ammi-Abbu’https://t.co/OgqtaVHgJR

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The ‘Gulmohar Book’ is published by a Hyderabad-based publisher. Parents raised concerns about the book to local Bajrang Dal activists, who filed a formal complaint to the Education Department. The book is viewed as an attempt to Islamize the classroom curriculum. Parents of the pupils said, “This school asks children to have Biryani once a week and bring it to schools in their tiffins. What kind of school is this ? What are they teaching to our children ? And what good are they doing for our children by giving such education ?”

“We are poor people, earning our livelihood by working hard. We enrolled our children in the school with the hope that they will learn something better. But what are these schools teaching them ? If we wish, we can shut your schools forever. But right now we don’t intend to do anything like that. Why not teach them in our language ? Tell them that mother means Maa and father means Baba”, they further said.
Another parent said, “This Gulmohar Book is being taught in a reputed convent school. The language is being changed in the name of educating the children. Had it been some community school of a particular religion or faith, or some school that gives religious education, there would not be any objection. But the kind of language being taught here in the name of a convent school, it is clear that they are trying to take the children away from their Hindu culture”.

Many characters in the book have non-Hindu names. The first Chapter in this book is titled ‘Too Big ! Too Small !’, which teaches Urdu words, while another Chapter is titled ‘Grandpa Farouk’s Garden’.

Editorial Viewpoint

• Only a handful of Hindus are alert to various aspects that harm their coming generations. It is essential to establish the ‘Hindu Rashtra’ for the Hindus to get teachers according to their own Dharma !