For meal, students told to get prayer right first

They started with Vande Mataram and have now moved on to a ‘‘bhojan mantra’’. Starting tomorrow, the Vasundhara Raje gov...

They started with Vande Mataram and have now moved on to a ‘‘bhojan mantra’’. Starting tomorrow, the Vasundhara Raje government has decided to run their student hostels in a more ‘‘disciplined and saffronised’’ fashion. Students who already began their day with a rendition of Vande Mataram will now be served meals only after they correctly recite the ‘‘bhojan mantra’’.

In 527 hostels run for SC/ST students by the state’s Social Welfare Department, around 21,800 students will have to learn and recite this mantra, especially chosen for the occasion by old Bajrang Dal hand and Social Welfare Minister Madan Dilawar. He has chosen to ignore all protests from the Opposition, especially a strongly worded letter from Syed Shahabuddin, former MP and president of the All India Muslim Majlis Mushawarat.

In his letter to the CM Shahabuddin has stated that a particular religious faith cannot be propagated in a government organisation. Adding there were many ‘‘non-Hindus’’ also staying in the hostels, Shahabuddin’s letter questions the ‘‘common code being enforced on students’’ by the government.

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Backing them is the Opposition party, charging the CM and her ministers with ‘‘saffronising’’ students’ hostels. ‘‘We have religious freedom under our Constitution and the government has no right to impose anything,’’ says B.D. Kalla, Leader of the Opposition.

Vasundhara has reportedly sent the letter to the Social Welfare Department and asked for their comments. But that is not going to stop this Gandhi Jayanti from ‘‘ushering in a new revolution’’ in the hostels. Ignoring the ruckus, Dilawar says the new policy will be implemented everywhere and has also planned another slew of changes in these hostels.

Starting with a proposal to officially name them ‘‘Ambedkar hostels’’, he plans to decorate the walls with pictures of Savarkar and other RSS leaders and also get students to read up a bit about ‘‘great Hindu leaders’’.

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