MUMBAI: State education minister
Vinod Tawde said on Saturday that the Bhagwad Gita is a “non-religious” text and “a way of life” and that there is nothing communal in distributing the text in educational institutes. Tawde also said the copies of holy books of other religions can also be given to colleges, provided they are made available for free.
“These days distribution of the Bhagwad Gita means one is communal and wants to saffronise the education system. When will we come out of this mentality? Even a Class 1 child can be taught several aspects of life through the Gita,” Tawde said at the launch of Bhaktivedanta Vidyapitha Research Centre at Girgaum in south Mumbai.
“The Gita, Vedas and Upanishads are not religious texts, but philosophical and scientific in nature and these texts should not just be confined to temples, but be made available to common man as they are a way of life,” he said.
“If copies of the Quran and the Bible are provided free of cost, they will also be distributed in colleges,” the minister said.
Vinod Tawde
