But can that be so for the religious–minded? There is nothing surprising about politicians wanting to ‘divide and rule’ for it is one of the oldest tricks in their trade. The very purpose of religion, especially the genius of Hinduism, is to affirm and celebrate the oneness both of the human species and of the Ultimate Reality. It is very astonishing that those who care for Hinduism do not voice their protest against this blatant misuse of the idea of religion in general, and of Hinduism in particular. Now think of the sacrilegious irony of forcing people, with impure and political motives, to worship the goddess of purity! It is an insult to Saraswati to be turned into a pawn in the hands of politicians who care little either for literacy (book) or for fine arts ( veena).Insofar as their political move is based on the presumption that people have no discernment (swan), it perfects the insult to the goddess in question! It is to endeavour to nurture a culture that upholds these values. That being the case, to worship Saraswati is to be committed to her three–fold attributes of purity, all-round education, and discernment in our way of life as a whole. Appropriately too for what is education worth if does not train people to distinguish between good and evil, right and wrong? The swan, the symbol of discernment, is her vehicle.
The book and veena held in her hands signify knowledge and artistic skills that harmonise in a holistic approach to education. This is born out of the Eastern intuition that learning is inseparable from purity. But what does Saraswati signify, and what does it mean, therefore, to worship her? Saraswati, as she is usually portrayed, is clad in pure, snow white, which symbolises purity. There can be no doubt at all that worshipping Saraswati is a laudable thing. So we could soon have the mockery of turning the goddess of learning into a means for aggravating the educational backwardness of a particular community! Coupled with the mullahs’ proverbial penchant for knee–jerk reactions, the state imposed worship of the goddess of learning could result in increasing illiteracy, especially among the Muslims in the state, who are already educationally most backward. Their symbolic meanings belittled, they could be employed as instruments in the service of fundamentalist interests. In this process the profound treasures of this way of life could be altered and corrupted beyond repair and recognition. I am worried that the political misappropriation of the mythology, ritual and symbolism of Hinduism will do enormous harm to this great and tolerant faith. My concern in this context is neither political nor legal. Could it be that the insult to the goddess of learning in keeping millions of people illiterate is sought to be compensated by forcing school children to do in ritual what the government won’t do in reality? There is no basis to assume that the present government is an exception. Universal education for all children under 14 years of age, as mandated by the Constitution, has not been a priority with any of the successive governments this state has had since Independence. UP is a state where illiteracy is endemic. The wry humour of the situation becomes apparent when we recall that Saraswati is supposed to be the goddess of learning. Can a government that is supposed to owe allegiance to a secular Constitution be religiously partisan? Is coercion legitimate in religious matters? What does it mean for Saraswati Vandana to be turned into a political ploy? Of these, it is only the last question that concerns us here.
At least three questions arise in this connection. It is reported that the Kalyan Singh government in UP intends to make Saraswati Vandana compulsory in
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