Culture minister Mahesh Sharma said that lessons from the Ramayana, Mahabharata and Gita should be taught in schools and colleges to make the younger generation aware of India’s rich cultural heritage and stop the trend of “cultural pollution” invading our society.
“The younger generation should know our cultural values and traditions. Mahabharata, Gita and Ramayana are the best sources for enriching young minds. They are a treasure house of human values. As culture minister, I strongly feel that these should be a part of the educational framework. What is wrong in this?” said Sharma.
There has been a visible encroachment of western culture in our society over the years, he said.
“We will launch a movement to rid the country of cultural pollution. I am not against English or German, but why should we have textbooks only in English? Why can we not have textbooks in our mother language?” Sharma asked.
Sharma said that contributions of nationalist leaders and freedom fighters, including Subhas Chandra Bose, Bhagat Singh, Veer Savarkar, Deen Dayal Upadhyay, could feature in the revamped Nehru Memorial Library and Museum (NMLM) here.
When asked if there were plans to put in more funds into the memorial, Sharma said, “We have already planned to use Rs 10 crore for the museum revamp. If more is needed, we can even consider that. And it is not just the Nehru Memorial, we will be giving a new look to all our 39 cultural institutions.”
