Scrap decision to appoint Arabic teachers in schools: VHP urges Travancore Devaswom Board

New Delhi: Strongly objecting to the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) appointing Arabic teachers in its schools in Kerala, the VHP on Wednesday demanded that the decision be withdrawn and Sanskrit language, which is the “depository of the Bharatiya spiritual heritage”, instead be made mandatory in the schools run by the TDB.

The board is an autonomous body constituted under the Travancore Cochin Hindu Religious Institutions Act XV of 1950. The board administers 1248 temples in the erstwhile princely state of Travancore and runs more than two dozen schools in the region.

Insisting that three members in the board are nominees of the Left government, the VHP claimed Arabic is not included in the scheduled languages of the Indian Constitution and is studied more for reading, understanding and memorising the Holy Quran. Therefore, it said teaching of the language in the schools managed from the funds offered by the Hindu devotees in the temples is an inappropriate expense.

“This is yet another attack by the nominees of Left front government of Kerala upon the Hindus. Their money, offered by them to deities shall go for the teaching of Arabic language,” said VHP’s working president Alok Kumar as he demanded that the decision be taken back and also asked the people to resolutely fight against it.