Now, DU lessons irk saffron brigade

Sun, Jan 13 12:30 AM

Even as the Ram Setu controversy rages on, the Sangh Parivar is gearing up for a massive campaign on another issue - the alleged vilification of Ramayana in the BA (Hons) second-year course of Delhi University. The "objectionable" course material was first highlighted by a group of eminent personalities from Meerut.

A letter was sent to DU Vice-Chancellor Deepak Paintal jointly by Dr K.C. Gupta (former head of political science department at Meerut College), Justice N.S. Gupta (retired judge of Allahabad High Court), Dr S.K. Mitta (retired head of history department, Meerut College), and C.P. Gupta (retired chief engineer of UP Power Corporation). However, when contacted by HT, the Vice-Chancellor said: "I don't recall any such letter.

" The letter, sent in November last year, objected to certain negative references to Lord Ram, Hanuman and Sita in a chapter "Three Hundred Ramayans" written by A.K. Ramanujan in the book titled Culture in Ancient India. The letter contended that the course material contained "volatile and provocative material offending religious beliefs of hundreds of millions of Hindus all over the world" and had been "deliberately and mischievously composed".

The letter also objects to a course book for BA (Pass) titled Relationship Between Laws And Women, which allegedly has derogatory references to women. When the VC "failed to respond" to the complaint, the matter was referred to the Shiksha Bachao Andolan Samiti.

On Saturday, samiti secretary Dinanath Batra chaired a meeting attended by representatives of various saffron outfits and planned the strategy to launch an agitation. The meeting was held at the ABVP office in Delhi University and participating outfits included the ABVP, Bajrang Dal, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, and the BJP's university teachers' cell.

A steering committee was constituted for the campaign, which would include sending delegations to the concerned authorities and conducting a seminar on the issue. "If no positive action is taken by the Delhi University, we will then hold dharnas and street demonstrations," Dinanath Batra told HT. The Shiksha Bachao Andolan Samiti is already spearheading the campaign against introduction of sex education in schools.

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