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Plea filed against Surya Namaskar campaign in schools, says it is against Islam
The petition in Madhya Pradesh high court said that the University Grants Commission (UGC) has issued a direction to the higher education institutions and affiliated colleges to participate in a Surya Namskar programme
BHOPAL: The Madhya Pradesh high court will next week hear a petition by a Congress MLA from Bhopal challenging the Surya namaskar programme being organized on the occasion of Amrit Mahotsav of Independence from January 1 to February 7 in all government-run educational institutions.
The court deferred the hearing to next week after admitting the petition filed by Congress MLA, Arif Masood.
The petition said that the University Grants Commission has issued a direction to the higher education institutions and affiliated colleges to participate in a Surya Namskar programme, which was in violation of tenements of Islam and the Constitution.
“Surya Namaskar is considered as Sun worship. Worshipping the sun is against Islam. The Constitution does not allow us to teach teachings of a particular religion in government educational institutions or to organize celebrations based on the beliefs of a particular group,” the petition said.
It said that as worshipping the Sun as a deity is not allowed in Islam, the government should withdraw the order. “The notification is infringing the right to liberty, freedom of religion of an individual as India is a secular country one should not be allowed to imply such things on anyone without their free will or consent,” the petition said.
Citing an order passed earlier by the MP high court in 2007, it was said that attending the Surya Namaskar should be voluntary, not compulsory. National Yogasana Sports Federation has been organizing Surya Namaskar program from January 1 to February 7 as part of the Amrit Mahotsav event in 30,000 education institutions to include 3 lakh students of three states of the country. The target of ensuring 75 crore Surya Namaskars was set for this programme. Under this, a musical Surya Namaskar program was organized in front of the tricolour on the occasion of Republic Day,” said Ehtesham Hashmi, the petitioner’s lawyer said.
The petitioner also challenged the decision against the state government of Madhya Pradesh, Patanjali Yogpeeth, Heartfulness Institute, NYSF National Yogasana Sport Federation, Geeta Parivar and Kreeda Bharati, Ministry of Ayush, Ministry of Education, Ministry of External Affairs and ICCR, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
