Bhopal:
Students from more than 6000 schools in Madhya Pradesh did the surya namaskar in one fell swoop today with the hope of setting a Guinness Book record.
And Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, Shivraj Singh Chauhan, was seen stretching not just himself as a participant, but also the state's apparatus, in the record bid. The signal to begin the sun salute was given via All India Radio. The government had hired officials to record the event which will be sent for review to those who handle the Guinness Book of World Records. The event was held today to mark the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekanand.
It could take upto a month for the verdict to be shared, but the bid has already become controversial. Mr Chauhan is being accused of saffronising the state. Muslim leaders, led by Shahar Qazi Sayyed Mushtaq Ali Nadvi, even issued a fatwa against the exercise.
But the Chief Minister brushed off his detractors saying participation was voluntary. "The participation in surya namaskar exercise was totally upto the choice of the participants. I never said it was complusory. I feel surya namaskar is very good for keeping fit it a scientific process so we are promoting it," said Mr Chauhan.
This is not the first time that the Shivraj Singh Chauhan-led BJP government in the state has faced such allegations. Earlier this month, the state toughened its law against cow-slaughter and consumption of beef, doubling the maximum punishment to seven years in jail.
In July 2011, the Madhya Pradesh government decided to have its own anthem which will be sung at government offices, schools and colleges after the national. This was controversial because the Opposition accused the BJP government of disrupting national unity.
And a RSS curriculum book - Dev Putra - was introduced in government schools. The state government is also facing strict opposition over the inclusion of Bhagwat Gita in schools because minority groups described this as an attempt to communalise education. Educationists also argued that currently, textbooks and teaching material in government schools blend portions of all sacred books. They said political parties should not be allowed to hijack state syllabi.
Critics like Rashid Kidwai, a senior political journalist and author, point out,"Shivraj Singh Chauhan won the elections on the good-governance plank. But good governance is nowhere in sight. What Shivraj Singh is instead is trying to do is shift the goal post and he is trying to project himself as a someone who is catering to Hindutva agenda like surya namaskar and introduction of Gita.
And Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, Shivraj Singh Chauhan, was seen stretching not just himself as a participant, but also the state's apparatus, in the record bid. The signal to begin the sun salute was given via All India Radio. The government had hired officials to record the event which will be sent for review to those who handle the Guinness Book of World Records. The event was held today to mark the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekanand.
It could take upto a month for the verdict to be shared, but the bid has already become controversial. Mr Chauhan is being accused of saffronising the state. Muslim leaders, led by Shahar Qazi Sayyed Mushtaq Ali Nadvi, even issued a fatwa against the exercise.
But the Chief Minister brushed off his detractors saying participation was voluntary. "The participation in surya namaskar exercise was totally upto the choice of the participants. I never said it was complusory. I feel surya namaskar is very good for keeping fit it a scientific process so we are promoting it," said Mr Chauhan.
This is not the first time that the Shivraj Singh Chauhan-led BJP government in the state has faced such allegations. Earlier this month, the state toughened its law against cow-slaughter and consumption of beef, doubling the maximum punishment to seven years in jail.
In July 2011, the Madhya Pradesh government decided to have its own anthem which will be sung at government offices, schools and colleges after the national. This was controversial because the Opposition accused the BJP government of disrupting national unity.
And a RSS curriculum book - Dev Putra - was introduced in government schools. The state government is also facing strict opposition over the inclusion of Bhagwat Gita in schools because minority groups described this as an attempt to communalise education. Educationists also argued that currently, textbooks and teaching material in government schools blend portions of all sacred books. They said political parties should not be allowed to hijack state syllabi.
Critics like Rashid Kidwai, a senior political journalist and author, point out,"Shivraj Singh Chauhan won the elections on the good-governance plank. But good governance is nowhere in sight. What Shivraj Singh is instead is trying to do is shift the goal post and he is trying to project himself as a someone who is catering to Hindutva agenda like surya namaskar and introduction of Gita.
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