VHP objects to teaching of Arabic in schools run by Devaswom board

New Delhi: The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) lashed out at the Kerala government on Wednesday over the alleged appointments of Arabic teachers in schools under the Travancore Devaswom Board which the VHP claims has the Left government's imprint on it.

"The Travancore Devaswom Board is constituted under the Travancore Cochin Hindu Religious Institutions Act, 1950. This Board has three members, two of whom are elected by Hindu members of the Council of Ministers of Kerala and the third member by the Hindu members of the Legislative Assembly of Kerala. Obviously, all the three members are thus, the nominees of the ruling party," said VHP working President Alok Kumar.

Kumar alleged that Arabic is not an Indian language. He claimed that it is not in the schedule of Indian languages in the Constitution of India. "This language is studied more for reading, understanding and memorizing the Holy Quran," he said.

The VHP Working President said that the teaching of Arabic language is not for the religious and charitable purposes of Hindus. "The teaching of this language in the schools managed from the funds offered by the Hindu Devotees in the Temples is thus an inappropriate expense," he said.

Labelling it as "yet another attack" by the nominees of the Left Front government of Kerala, the VHP called upon the Board to withdraw it and asked the people of Kerala to "resolutely fight" against it.

The VHP suggested that the Sanskrit language is the depository of the Indian "Spiritual Heritage" and its teaching should be made mandatory in the schools run by the Travancore Devaswom Board.