Krishna's Management Mantras!

By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam 15 November, 2023 The faculty of Commerce at Allahabad University (AU) has started a five-year integrated BBA-MBA course from this academic session in which students can learn the management mantras of Lord Krishna through the Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana, and Upanishads, as well as those of Chanakya. While one can understand Chanakya's role in modern management studies and contexts, Krishna's vague and often deceitful teachings in the Gita must be avoided. Years ago, when NY University intended to introduce Jesus' teachings and their effects on humans as a subject, Dr Edward W. Said wrote to the management, ‘Let the students of Theology, Mythology, and Religion study and analyse all these speculative issues. But the students of general streams must not be exposed to religion and mythology, however ‘relevant' they may appear.' The advice of the world's leading public intellectual was taken seriously, and no such subject was introduced to the management and general curriculum of the university. Shouldn't this also happen in India? I'm sure many level-headed and sane individuals in India are against this decision, which has clear religio-political hues. But the question is, will the university management listen to them, especially when Allahabad (sorry, no Prayagraj) is the nerve centre of UP's saffron politics? In recent times, especially in the Saffron regime, all mythological characters have become parts of syllabi. Students are being urged to emulate these ‘revered' mythological characters. Their lives and teachings are being taught for moral upliftment and edification! This is ridiculous, nay, objectionable. The Gita and other scriptures are relevant for students of comparative religions. And in comparative religions, all these characters are taken as symbols and metaphors, not as entities with flesh and blood. When you clutter the brains of future CEOs and mandarins with all religious and mythological rubbish, how can you expect modern and dynamic organisational thinking from them? … A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed articles to the world's premier publications in several languages, including Persian. ---- URL: https://newageislam.com/interfaith-dialogue/krishna-management-mantras/d/131114 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism