Bengaluru: School asks students to carry Bible in bags, stirs row

Bengaluru: Months after the Hijab ban controversy in Karnataka, now a school in Bengaluru has made it compulsory for the students to carry Bible to the premises.

Following this,  Hindu organizations have called it a violation of the Karnataka Education Act and demanded the cancellation of the school’s license.

Sri Ram Sena founder Pramod Muthalik on Monday asked the school management to keep the Bible in their homes and churches. “Why is Bible being preached to Hindu students who comprise 90 percent of the total student population in the school?” he questioned. The school must be seized and students transferred to other schools, he demanded.

Hindu Jana Jagruthi Samithi has alleged that the students are made to read the Bible every day compulsorily. All the students have been given a Bible which is in the form of a booklet, they are told to carry it every day. If anyone objects, they are threatened with cancellation of admissions, they alleged.

The Samithi has further alleged that the school has violated and misused Article 25 of the constitution. The move amounts to a violation of the guidelines of the Supreme Court, the Karnataka Education Act, and Child Protection Laws. The Samithi would approach Education Minister B.C. Nagesh on this matter and demands cancellation of the license of the school for forcefully imposing the Christian religion preaching to non-Christian students.

Reacting to the development, the education minister clarified that there is no provision for making the Bible reading compulsory in schools, if it is found to be true, action will be initiated against the school, he said.

George Mathew, the school Principal, has stated to the media that he is sad about the development. The Bible has been taught for 100 years. He maintained that advocates will answer all questions raised against the institution.

(With inputs from IANS)