From Brahma Kumari Academy to Ramakrishna Mission
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From Brahma Kumari Academy to Ramakrishna Mission Documents on Government of India Sponsorship of Ramakrishna Mission Value Education Programmes: 2010 onwards (Suman Gupta) 1. Indian Express articles, June 2010 Brahma Kumaris to take value education classes in Kendriya Vidyalayas Anubhuti Vishnoi Posted online: Wed Jun 09 2010, 00:33 hrs http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/brahma-kumaris-to-take-value-education-classes-in-kendriya- vidyalayas/631273/ New Delhi : There is no dispute over inclusion of value education in school curriculum but when that is outsourced to a religious or spiritual organisation, it is bound to raise eyebrows. The Central government-run Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS), which presides over a chain of thousand-plus schools, has done just that by directing all its schools to allow the nearest Brahma Kumari Academy to hold a weekly class on Peace Education. In a letter to all its regional offices, the KVS has said each school must contact the nearest Brahma Kumari Academy so that “representative can take one period in a week in classes VII, VIII & IX in KVs free of cost”. Kendriya Vidyalayas across the country have quickly followed the directive, touching base with the nearest Brahma Kumari centre. The Brahma Kumaris too have lost no time in contacting the nearest KVs. The Brahma Kumari organisation describes itself as a socio-spiritual and educational institution of international repute with over 8,000 centres in 132 countries and committed to the cause of moral and spiritual uplift of mankind. The KVS maintains that they have tied up with the Brahma Kumaris for value education lessons and also ensured that the content on offer is going to be “completely secular”. “This is not a religious programme. We have thoroughly checked the training module which will be used in the classes and it has no religious element at all. It is centred on core human values and is a simple awareness programme. All due precautions have been taken before allowing the Brahma Kumari Academy to hold lessons in our schools. They had done a workshop for our primary school teachers last year and that is when the proposal for this school programme came up,” M M Joshi, Deputy Commissioner (Academics), KVS, told The Indian Express. Confirming that all KVs were directed in January to contact Brahma Kumari academies, Joshi said the organisation was being engaged because they were doing it free of cost and had presence across India. Brahma Kumari Karuna, the public relations officer for the organisation, also said that the arrangement with KVs was secular in nature. “We are helping with value education lessons in KVs. We have already conducted these in some 29 schools. KVS officially permitted us earlier this year after they liked our programme. Brahma Kumari is not a religion, we are for the secular and call ourselves a spiritual organisation teaching values. Our aim is to teach children values like respecting elders so that these values can take root and they become better citizens. Education today is purely professional, without ethics. For better ethics, we need spirituality, so we are trying to teach values in schools,” Karuna said. No Brahma Kumaris, HRD wants Ramakrishna Mission Anubhuti Vishnoi Posted online: Fri Jun 11 2010, 01:37 hrs http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/no-brahma-kumaris-hrd-wants-ramakrishna-mis/632381/ New Delhi : Interviewing to put an end to the tie-up between the Brahma Kumari organisation and Kendriya Vidyalayas for value education lessons after an Indian Express report on the issue, the HRD Ministry is set to evolve a full-fledged Value Education curriculum for schools. A Rs 100-crore plan to partner with the Ramakrishna Paramhans foundation to develop Value Education content for schools has also got in-principle approval, sources said. Meanwhile, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal is learnt to have sought a response from the Kendriya Vidyalya Sangathan over their tie-up with the Brahma Kumaris to impart weekly lessons in Value Education. He has directed the KVs to put a stop to any further association with the organisation pending the new Value Education format being prepared by the Ministry. The National Committee on Commemoration of the 150th Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekanand chaired by the PM Manmohan Singh has reportedly suggested a partnership with Ramakrishna Paramhans Maths and Missions to propagate the Swami’s teachings in schools. A Swami Vivekanand Chair is also proposed to be set up in the University of Chicago to commemorate Swami Vivekanand’s famous lecture at the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago on 11th September 1893. The high-profile committee includes a number of cabinet ministers and academics on board besides UPA president Sonia Gandhi. “The proposals have got in-principle approval from the National Committee on the Celebrations and will roll out soon”, sources said. The issue of value education had figured prominently in Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s address when the Committee met for the first time last month. “I am happy that among the proposals we have received is one from the Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission in Belur that is based on this theme... I think that thought should be given to how we can mainstream some of Swami Vivekananda’s ideas on education into our school and college curricula,” the PM had said. 2. President of India’s Address at the Inauguration of the Swami Vivekananada Institute of Value Education, 2006 Press Information Bureau Government of India President's Secretariat 12-January-2006 18:21 IST President’s address at the Youth Convention and Inauguration of the Vivekananda Institute of Value Education and Culture Extract Following is the text the of the President, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s address at the Youth Convention and inauguration of the Vivekananda Institute of Value Education and Culture at Porbandar, Gujarat today: Indomitable Spirit My name should not be made prominent. It is my ideas that I want to be realised Let us do that and Almighty will bless our societies “I am indeed delighted to participate in the inauguration of the Vivekananda Institute of Value Education and Culture and the youth convention organised by the Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Memorial, Porbandar. My greetings to the organisers, Principals, teachers, students, parents and other distinguished invitees participating in the function. When I am with you, I am reminded of the statement by Swami Vivekananda, ‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God’, this purity of heart will bring the vision of God. It is indeed the theme of whole music of this universe. This thought has indeed influenced my conscience. I would like to talk to you on the topic ‘indomitable Spirit’. Dear Young friends, Just now I inaugurated the Vivekananda Institute of Value and Culture. When I was preparing the talk for addressing the youth a unique letter comes to my mind. This letter I saw in Jamshedpur at Tata Exhibition written by Jamshedji N Tata on 23rd Nov 1898. I would like all of you to know about this letter which I am going to read. It gives a very important message to the youth. I quote: ‘Dear Swami Vivekananda, I trust, you remember me as a fellow -traveller on your voyage from Japan to Chicago. I very much recall at this moment your views on the growth of the ascetic spirit in India, and the duty, not of destroying, but of diverting it into useful channels. I recall these ideas in connection with my scheme of Research Institute of Science for India, of which you have doubtless heard or read. It seems to me that no better use can be made of the ascetic spirit than the establishment of monasteries or residential halls for men dominated by this spirit, where they should live with ordinary decency, and devote their lives to the cultivation of sciences - natural and humanistic. I am of opinion that, if such a crusade in favour of an asceticism of this kind were undertaken by a competent leader, it would greatly help asceticism, science, and the good name of our common country; and I know not who would make a more fitting general of such a campaign than Vivekananda. Do you think you would care to apply yourself to the mission of galvanazing into life our traditions in this respect? Perhaps you had better begin with a fiery pamphlet rousing our people in this matter. I should cheerfully defray all the expenses of publication. 23rd November 1898 Jamshedji N Tata’ Friends do you know who has written this letter in the year 1898 November 23 and to whom. Jamshedji N Tata has written this letter to Swami Vivekananda asking him to take the leadership of a Research Institute for Science in India. Imagine the type of courage and vision a progressive industrialist Jamshedji had to write to a spiritual leader. This strength he derived from one important incident which took place during a voyage from Japan to USA. At this point let me share the meeting between Swami Vivekananda and Jamshedji Nusserwanji Tata during a ship journey. It happened in 1893. A ship was sailing Japan to USA. There were hundreds of people in that ship including two significant personalities. Swami Vivekananda and Jamshedji Tata were in that ship. Swamiji asked Jamshedji for what mission he was traveling. Jamshedji said that he wanted to bring steel industry to India. Swami Vivekanda blessed him. He suggested steel technology had two components – one is steel science and the other is manufacturing technology. What can you bring to this country in material technology – you will have to build material science within the country.