FPJ Exclusive: MVA govt makes recitation of Preamble mandatory in schools from Jan 26

FPJ Exclusive: MVA govt makes recitation of Preamble mandatory in schools from Jan 26

A notification to this effect was issued on Tuesday. With this, the government will launch the 'Sarvabhaumatva Samvidhanache Janhit Sarvanche'

Sanjay JogUpdated: Wednesday, January 22, 2020, 06:38 AM IST
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Preamble |

Mumbai: The Constitution is the new Bible for the Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government. It has made mandatory a daily collective recitation of the Preamble in primary and secondary schools in the State from January 26.

A notification to this effect was issued on Tuesday. With this, the government will launch the 'Sarvabhaumatva Samvidhanache Janhit Sarvanche' (Public Awareness of Constitutional Sovereignty) programme across the state.

The MVA strongly feels that this will help students understand the importance of the Constitution and principles therein. It will be read in 1.06 lakh primary and upper primary schools and 26,857 secondary and higher secondary schools.

The move is all about messaging at a time political parties and citizen organisations are protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act, terming it as unconstitutional.

The Department of School Education and Sports, Deputy Secretary Rajendra Pawar, in a signed government resolution, said that the objective is to make children understand the importance of justice, freedom, equality and brotherhood at an early age. It will help students become mature and cultured citizens.

Pawar reminded that the government had taken the decision on February 4, 2013, for collective reading of the Preamble but it remained on paper.

Education activist Heramb Kulkarni said students sing the National Anthem and read the national pledge in school.

“Now, they will have to read the Preamble. This should not become a mere ritual. So, teachers should take the initiative to show films or hold interactive sessions, where students will share their experience after reading the Preamble,” he noted.

The Maha Vikas Aghadi government's move is crucial as its common minimum programme (CMP), which begins with stress on secularism. Despite Shiv Sena's initial disagreement on using the word 'secular' in the CMP, the final version opens with the word secular.

The very first line of the CMP has the word 'secular' and the first paragraph talks about upholding secularism. Secularism has been used twice in the first paragraph itself.

“The alliance partners commit to uphold the secular values enshrined in the Constitution. On the contentious issue of national importance, especially having repercussions/consequences on the secular fabric of the nation, the Shiv Sena, the NCP and the Congress will take a joint view after holding consultations and arriving at a consensus,” says the preamble of the CMP.

Realising that elections cannot be won only on the Hindutva plank, the saffron party has adopted secularism as its instrument of political power.

Hindutva was the glue that held the Shiv Sena and the BJP together at the national as well as in the state, before they broke their two-and-half-decade alliance.

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