Mumbai: A political storm has erupted in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) following a proposal by Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and the leader of opposition Kishori Pednekar to make the recitation of ‘Manache Shlok’ verses mandatory in city schools. The proposal has faced strong opposition from the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM), which termed it an attempt to ‘saffronise’ education.
Pednekat, the Leader of the Opposition in the BMC, has tabled a motion demanding recitation of the verses written by 17th-century saint Samarth Ramdas to be made compulsory in all corporation and private schools where Marathi is a compulsory subject.
The proposal states that the purpose of ‘Manache Shlok’ (Mind Verses) written in simple language is to promote discipline, moral values and brain development in students.
Claiming that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar were influenced by Manache Shlok, Pednekar emphasized that the verses do not represent merely Hindu religious rituals; rather, they constitute social values and character-building principles that transcend the narrow boundaries of caste, religion or sect.
The former mayor appealed to the BMC administration to fix a room for reciting shlok daily in schools and to talk to the state government to implement this directive in all private schools in Mumbai.
However, the AIMIM opposed Pednekar’s proposal and suggested teaching the Constitution instead.
Party group leader, Vijay Ubale said that imposing religious literature in secular civic schools undermines the principles of their educational mandate. “We recommend an alternative focus on teaching the Constitution to prepare students better for civic responsibility,” Ubale said.
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