Urdu version of Gita in schools: J&K govt withdraws circular

SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Tuesday withdrew an order that had asked the education department to introduce Urdu version of ‘Bhagavad Gita’ and ‘Ramayana’ in schools and other educational institutions in the state.

“The communication issued by the school education department to the school education Kashmir/Jammu director has been withdrawn ab-initio on the directions of the chief secretary BVR Subrahmanyam,” a statement said.

On Monday, the state government had issued an order to education directors of the two divisions directing them to purchase the religious books.

The circular had asked the school education department, the higher education department, directors of colleges and libraries and the culture department to “consider purchasing a sufficient number of copies of the Urdu version of “Bhagavad Gita” and “Ramayana”, authored by Sarwanand Premi”.

The decision was taken in a meeting chaired by advisor to the governer BB Vyas on October 4.

The order generated opposition with former CM Omar Abdullah questioning the decision. “If religious texts are to be placed in schools, collages & government libraries (and I’m not convinced that they need/ should be) then why is it being done selectively?,” he said in a tweet.