The Communist Party of India (Marxist) flays Justice A R Dave’s statement on Gita

Shravan Shuklapaksha 11, Kaliyug Varsha 5116

 New Delhi : The Communist Party of India (Marxist) today termed as "improper and unwarranted" the view expressed by Supreme Court judge Justice A R Dave that 'Gita and Mahabharata should be taught in schools.'

"What Justice Dave has advocated is religious instruction in all schools from Class I. Compulsory religious instruction in government schools violates the basic secular principle enshrined in the Constitution," the party Polit Bureau said in a statement.

 "It is unfortunate that a sitting judge of the Supreme Court propounds his personal views which go against the grain of the secular democratic constitutional principle, which he as a judge is expected to uphold," the party said. "The views expressed by Justice Dave about the teaching of Gita and Mahabharata in schools is improrer and unwarranted," it said.

Source : The Economic Times

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If I were a dictator, I would introduce Gita in Class I: Supreme Court Judge

August 3, 2014

Shravan Shuklapaksha 7, Kaliyug Varsha 5116

• "Mahabharata and Bhagwad Gita should be introduced to children at an early age"

• "If 'guru-shishya parampara' had been there, we would not have problems (violence and terrorism) in our country"

                                                                             – Supreme Court Judge AR Dave

Ahmedabad: Supreme Court judge Justice AR Dave on Saturday said that Indians should revert to their ancient traditions, and texts such as Mahabharata and Bhagwad Gita should be introduced to children at an early age.

"Our old tradition such as 'guru-shishya parampara' is lost, if it had been there, we would not have had all these problems (violence and terrorism) in our country," Justice Dave said, speaking at an international conference on 'contemporary issues and challenges of human rights in the era of globalization' here.

"Now we see terrorism in countries. Most of the countries are democratic … If everybody in a democratic country is good then they would naturally elect somebody who is very good. And that person will never think of damaging anybody else," he said.

"So by bringing (out) all the good things in each and every human being, we can stop the violence everywhere. And for that purpose we have to go back to our own things again." 

The conference had been organized by Gujarat Law Society (GLS). The judge also proposed that Bhagwad Gita and Mahabharata should be introduced to students from the first standard.

"Somebody who is very secular … so-called secular will not agree … Had I been the dictator of India, I would have introduced Gita and Mahabharata in Class I. That is the way you learn how to live life. I am sorry If somebody says I am secular or I am not secular. But if there is something good, we have to get it from anywhere," Justice Dave said.

Chief justice of the Bombay high court, Justice Mohit Shah, said "development for all" should be the core value behind the idea of globalization.

"The concept of global village does not mean everybody just thinking of the world, but it should also be expanding of functions of development for all … If we don't share the profits of globalization, the benefits of globalization, it would be raising serious challenges," he said.

Source: News Nation