The Teacher Didn't Encourage And Spread Atheism

By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam 19 July 2025 A case has been registered against a government school teacher for reciting a poem in the morning assembly to encourage students to focus only on studies and dream big. A video has gone viral showing Rajnish Gangwar, a teacher at Mahatma Gandhi Memorial (MGM) Inter College in Bahedi, Bareilly, reciting his self-composed poem that starts with the line: "Tum Kanwar Lene Mat Jana, Tum Gyaan Ka Deep Jalana (Don't go to fetch the Kanwar, instead light the lamp of knowledge)." Rajneesh Gangwar is a teacher at MGM Inter College ----- Another line of Gangwar's poem says: "Manavata Ki Seva Karke Sachche Manav Ban Jana, Kanwar Lene Mat Jana… Raajneeti Ab Dharmneeti Ab, Ye Punjiwadi Yug Hai, Janata Ke Hai Dharma-Afeem Se Bauraya Jag Hai " (Serve humanity and become a good human being. Don't go to fetch the Kanwar…Politics is religious policy now, it is the age of capitalism. The opium of religion is making people crazy)." This is indeed ironic. Instead of felicitating this evolved teacher, a case was registered against him! The main objective of education is to develop the scientific temperament. Teachers are supposed to inculcate rationality in their students. While most of the teachers are sickly religious, a rare one who chooses to swim against the tide is punished. I wonder what would have happened to a teacher like A K Ramanujan who hinted that Ramayana and Mahabharat were mere mythologies and must be studied as myths and allegories. He'd have been lynched in today's religion and god-intoxicated India! By the way, A K Ramanujan taught Linguistics at Chicago University in the US. It's worthwhile to mention that A K Ramanujan's essay, "Three Hundred Ramayanas: Five Examples and Three Thoughts on Translation," was removed from Delhi University's history syllabus after protests from Hindu groups who found the essay's discussion of various Ramayana versions offensive. The same can be said about all faiths and their scriptures because religions, esp. Semitic faiths are not very amenable to the idea of hermeneutics. That said, students go to school to study and broaden their horizons. The teacher in UP wasn't encouraging and spreading atheism. He was just urging his young students to think rationally. But in today's India, who has time for reason? Sadly, we've enough time for religion and its associated mumbo-jumbo. Otherwise also, reason and religion are poles asunder. Nowadays, students go to schools and colleges to harden their religious beliefs. This is a sad and alarming state of affairs. May sense prevail so that this rational teacher continues to teach and exhort his students to think like emancipated individuals. But if the students and their parents themselves are reluctant to think scientifically, who can wean them away from all sorts of religious irrationalities? ----- 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://www.newageislam.com/current-affairs/teacher-encourage-atheism/d/136224 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