Hindu Prayers Introduced in Chhattisgarh Schools 

A recent government order to recite Hindu chants and prayers in public schools in Chhattisgarh, India, has caused an uproar over the violation of fundamental principles of secularism and disregard for indigenous tribal cultures and customs. 

The Chhattisgarh School Education Department issued a directive mandating daily recitation of 10 Vedic and regional mantras, including the Gayatri Mantra and the Saraswati Vandana, in state schools, sparking backlash from both tribal communities and political parties. 

Schools have just reopened for the new academic season nationwide after an extended summer break due to intense heat waves. 

The tribal-dominated state of Chhattisgarh is governed by the Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which also holds power at the national level under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

The Mandate 

The state education department’s mandate breaks up daily school activities into three specific time slots: morning, lunchtime, and evening dismissal, each marked by different chants and prayers. 

The routine features the national anthem/song, Deep Mantra, Saraswati Vandana, Guru Mantra, Bhojan Mantra (during mid-day meals), Gayatri Mantra, and Shanti Mantra.  

The state government defends the rule, stating it aims to instill discipline, moral values, and cultural awareness among students. But the opposition Congress and tribal communities have reportedly accused the BJP government of pushing an ideological agenda through classrooms. 

Tribal and Regional Pushback 

Tribal and regional organizations submitted formal memorandums to the government arguing that imposing these specific religious practices violates Articles 25 and 28 of the Indian Constitution, as well as the Fifth Schedule, which protects indigenous cultural identity.  

The Congress party and minority rights groups, who have criticized the directive, fear it alienates students of other faiths and compromises the secular fabric of state-run schools. 

Tribal leaders have issued press statements that Adivasis, or tribals, are not Hindus and have distinct religious and cultural traditions. They view this directive as an imposition of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) ideology designed to erase local Adivasi identity. 

Demand for Withdrawal of Prayers 

The Sarva Adivasi Samaj, a prominent umbrella body representing diverse tribal communities in Chhattisgarh, led by senior tribal politician and former MLA Manish Kunjam, condemned the circular and officially demanded its immediate and unconditional withdrawal. 

In public addresses and official press statements, it asserted that tribal communities possess unique ancestral customs, nature-centric belief systems, and cultural ways of life that cannot be subsumed under Vedic or Hindu traditions. 

Kunjam categorized the directive as a calculated, “RSS-driven attempt” to forcefully impose Hindu religious practices on tribal children. He noted that using government infrastructure to mandate these chants is an ideological assault meant to weaken and erase local Adivasi identity. 

Kunjam argued that transforming the school day into multiple structured chanting sessions —from morning assembly to lunchtime and dismissal — detracts from core academic studies and disrupts the primary purpose of formal education. 

Blurring Culture and Religion 

Christian and secular organizations in Chhattisgarh also condemned the state’s directive mandating Hindu prayers, mantras, and rituals in public schools. They describe the policy as the “saffronization” of education and an unconstitutional imposition of religious practices on students from diverse faith backgrounds. 

“Saffronization” is a political neologism referring to the policy approach of implementing Hindu nationalist, or “Hindutva,” agendas into mainstream Indian discourse, society, and institutions. The term draws its name from the color saffron, which is sacred in Hinduism. 

The government is intentionally blurring the line between cultural awareness and religious indoctrination by making the Hindu chants compulsory, they say. 

The Association for the Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) and various church bodies said that forcing children — including those from Christian and tribal communities — to participate in Hindu religious rituals violates the fundamental rights of individual students and teachers to practice their own religion.  

Meanwhile, the Adivasi leadership has sent a formal memorandum to the Chhattisgarh governor, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, and the school education minister. They warned that if the state does not drop the mandatory requirement, tribal groups will organize widespread protests across Bastar. 

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The post Hindu Prayers Introduced in Chhattisgarh Schools  first appeared on International Christian Concern.