Bhagavad Gita can guide youth away from drugs: Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy

NEW DELHI: Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel, H.D. Kumaraswamy, defended his call for including the Bhagavad Gita in school curricula across India, following criticism from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Minister H.C. Mahadevappa. Addressing a press conference at his New Delhi residence on Monday, he argued that introducing the Gita in schools would help guide children away from drug abuse, which he claimed is rapidly worsening among Karnataka’s youth.

Kumaraswamy said drug addiction is destroying young lives in Bengaluru and other parts of the state, pointing to rave parties and the continuous supply of narcotics. Teaching the Bhagavad Gita early, he argued, would help instil discipline, positive values, and moral clarity. “What is wrong in guiding the younger generation away from a dangerous path?” he asked.

Responding to accusations that his proposal promotes “Manuvad,” he dismissed the criticism as misguided, asking whether advocating good conduct and value-based education could be equated with such ideology.

Clarifying his position, Kumaraswamy said he never suggested the Gita be taught only to children of a particular community. Instead, he emphasized its universal teachings and said Minister Mahadevappa was misrepresenting his statements. He added that personal attacks against him were unnecessary and detracted from the real issue—the moral and social well-being of the youth.

The Minister cited his own engagement with Hindu scriptures—including the Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana, and Mahabharata—and recalled how Mahatma Gandhi regarded the Gita as his “mother scripture” and a source of comfort and strength. Kumaraswamy read out the 63rd verse of the Gita at the press conference to underline the text’s philosophical depth.

He warned that Karnataka was becoming a hub for drug trafficking, with narcotics reportedly being sold near educational institutions and even police personnel implicated in crimes. This deterioration, he said, should prompt introspection among critics. (IANS)

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