Hostility towards others not Hindu way, Vivekananda's Hinduism all-inclusive: Shashi Tharoor
Kolkata (PTI): Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has said hostility towards others was not the Hindu way, pointing out that his favourite Hindu icon Swami Vivekananda's Hinduism was all-inclusive.
The author-turned-politician, who has written two books on Hinduism, said on Thursday that many right-wing politicians have been trying to appropriate Swami Vivekananda by selectively quoting him while ignoring "the totality of his message".
"We are seeing some in the BJP selectively quoting Swami Vivekananda to show they are following his path... (but) anyone who has read the totality of his message will understand that he is talking of an all-inclusive and all-embracing faith," Tharoor told PTI.
He added that Vivekananda's vision was "not of a Hinduism which is intolerant", while speaking of the "attempts" by the right wing to "appropriate" the late 19th-century religious reformer as an icon for their political movement.
The 160th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, the founder of the Ramakrishna Mission, was celebrated earlier this year.
Tharoor said he was shocked to see people "weaponising their faith" in the name of Hinduism in a manner that is "hostile and aggressive towards others".
He stressed that "is simply not the Hindu way". The Lok Sabha MP and best-selling author was speaking on the sidelines of an event organized as part of the Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival.
"That is not what most of us Hindus were taught as we grew up in this country," Tharoor said.
He went on to assert that the majority of Hindus did not see their faith as one which could be "brandished as a weapon against people of other faith".
His 2018 work 'Why I am a Hindu' was written to contrast the faith he says he grew up with "the narrow-minded faith of the Hindutvawadis". He followed it up with 'The Hindu way: An introduction to Hinduism' the next year.
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AIITA welcomes Karnataka’s ban on obscene songs in school events
Bhatkal: The Karnataka unit of the All India Ideal Teachers Association (AIITA) has welcomed the Karnataka government’s decision to strictly ban school children from dancing to obscene songs during educational and cultural programmes in government, aided, and private schools across the state.
AIITA Karnataka State President M. R. Manvi congratulated the government for taking what he termed an important step to preserve the sanctity of education.
“Such decisions to safeguard the dignity of school children and uphold the values of education are the need of the hour. This rule should not be limited to government schools alone but must be strictly implemented in all private educational institutions as well,” he said.
He further urged the government to address other concerns within school programmes.
“The government should not only prohibit obscene dances in the name of school anniversaries, but also ensure that plays and dialogues that incite religious hatred are avoided. Schools should be centres of harmony, not platforms for spreading hatred,” he added.
According to a recent circular issued by the Department of School Education and Literacy, obscene dances are adversely affecting the mental health and moral values of students.
In this regard, schools have been advised to use songs that promote nationalism, positive thinking, the greatness of Kannada culture, and value-based traditions instead of inappropriate content during programmes.
The circular also emphasises that students should be dressed in decent attire.
AIITA also backed the department’s warning that disciplinary action would be taken against head teachers if such guidelines are violated. The association has further demanded that district Deputy Directors of Public Instruction strictly monitor the implementation of these rules.
