Sir, I strongly support the amendment moved by ShrimatiRenuka Ray. I think it carries out more fully the intentions of the Sub-Committee. In our country, even in the same religion there are any number of denominations. We want the village panchayats to control education; we want the local boards to control education. In a particular village or a particular area, a particular Hindu denomination may be in a majority. We don’t want Saivaites to give Saivaite instruction; the Vaishanavaites to give Vaishnavaite education; the Lingayats to give Lingayat instruction. We do not want to give even the slightest loophole for such controversies. Therefore, it is essential that all schools maintained by the State should have no religious instruction whatsoever. Let other agencies provide this instruction, if they so choose, in ‘out of class’ hours. That is a different thing altogether. I am objecting to religious instruction as such, nor I am objecting even to denominational character of religious instruction, but our public institutions should be absolutely secular. They should be beyond the reach of all religious controversies. Therefore, this amendment says that where schools are maintained by the State, no denominational religious instruction shall be provided in them. It carries out the intentions of the Committee much more precisely and fully. If an institution is recognised or receives aid from public funds then there should be no compulsion. There may be religious instruction in an aided school, but where any parent of a minor or-if a student is an adult such student does not want to attend the classes, he should not be penalised in any way. He should be allowed to absent himself from such religious instruction. I think both these clauses are fundamental and I hope that they will be unanimously accepted by the House.
