Newly recruited constables in Madhya Pradesh have been instructed to read chapters from the Bhagavad Gita every evening during their training. The direction has led to political debate, with the Congress accusing the government of trying to “radicalise and saffronise” the police force.
Around 4,000 new constables are currently training at eight centres in the state. They have been ordered to read one chapter from the Gita every evening throughout the Hindu holy month of Margashirsha, the New Indian Express reported.
A video that has circulated online shows the trainees, wearing light blue shirts and dark trousers, the regular training uniform, chanting verses from the scripture together.
Defending the movie, additional director general of police (Training), Raja Babu Singh, said the reading was intended to “help new constables live disciplined and principled lives.”
He said, “It will help the newly recruited strike a balance between intelligence quotient (IQ) and emotional quotient (EQ). At a time when a young student has been killed by on-duty constables in Bhopal, reading chapters from the Bhagavad Gita will certainly have a positive effect on the lives of the new recruits.”
Singh said the reading practice was introduced to mark the month of Margashirsha, which began on Thursday. He explained that, according to Hindu scriptures, this month is associated with Lord Krishna, adding that the Gita says, ‘Masaanam Margashirshoham,’ meaning ‘I am Margashirsha among months.’
He also said superintendents at all training schools had been asked to encourage trainees to read one chapter every evening, preferably before their evening meditation.
Margashirsha, also called Agrahayana, is the ninth month of the Hindu lunar calendar and is considered very auspicious. It usually falls between November and December and is dedicated to worshipping deities like Vishnu and Lakshmi. People see it as a time for spiritual growth, purification, and prosperity.
Not the first time
This is not the first time such an initiative has been taken. Four months ago, the same officer had encouraged police trainees to recite verses from Tulsidas’s Ramcharitmanas, saying it would help build discipline and moral clarity.
Singh has also promoted Gita reading in the past. While serving as the ADG of the Gwalior Range, he distributed copies of the scripture to jail inmates and organised similar reading sessions.
The current instruction requires trainees at all eight centres to continue reading one chapter every evening until December 4.
State Congress spokesperson Bhupendra Gupta strongly criticised the move, calling it an attempt to influence the religious beliefs of the police.
He said, “In a democratic country like India, every individual has the freedom to follow their own religion and faith. What the ADG (Training) has directed is an attempt to radicalise the police force in Madhya Pradesh. It goes against the very spirit of our Constitution.”
