I can very well imagine taking a stroll near a school in some town of Madhya Pradesh. I overhear someone cry. It’s a small girl sitting under a tree in her school uniform who was crying out loud. As I go close to ask her what was wrong, I see a boy standing next to her and trying to console her. Just then he holds a stick in his hand, takes out an old pair of spectacles from his schoolbag and starts saying out loud:

“Whatever happened happened for good. Whatever is happening is happening for good. Whatever will happen will happen for good.”

His hand movements and facial expressions accompanied with his comical tone has delivered a flawless imitation. I am secretly proud of the fact that a young boy not even ten years old knows the most important lesson of Bhagvad Gita. Now he goes close to the girl and says, “Meena, remember just yesterday master-ji taught us this from Gita Saar? I know it’s the subject you hate, but never mind. These lines mean, if you did not fare well in the test, it’s all for the good and if you will not fare well in the re-test tomorrow, it will be for the good, and even if you will never do well in this subject, it will all still be for the good.”

Being a Hindu, I feel offended hearing such an interpretation of the central message of the holy teaching of Lord Krishna. The analysis of the verse has been done in such a frivolous manner, what a shame! What are they teaching in schools nowadays? Much to my surprise, the girl finds solace in these lines and stops crying. And then they both go home smiling.

Now I start wondering. How did these children acquire such deep, philosophical, spiritual and religious teaching? That’s when I come to know about the latest addition the Madhya Pradesh government has made to the school syllabus, making Gita Saar or the gist of Gita mandatory for children.

What a master stroke by chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to imbibe values of Hinduism in the young generation!

But I think it is very unfair to burden our already overburdened children with such Sankritised teachings on Dharma, Jnana, Karma, Yoga, Bhakti and what not.

To continue with our imaginary episode, the master-ji, in a failed attempt to make Gita Saar comprehensible for young children, goes close to one of them, looks into her eyes and exclaims, “What did you bring with you, that you have lost, my dear?”

To which the child innocently replies, “My tiffin box, master-ji.”