Union Minister Says Children Who Study In Convent Schools Are Less ‘Sanskari’

People who have studied in convent schools and colleges know that it is an experience unlike anything else. Sure, the atmosphere can be strict and orthodox. But convent schools celebrate Christmas and Diwali, or even Rabindra Jayanti, with the same fervour. Students are read excerpts from the Bhagavad Gita and the Quran just like they were read pages from the Bible. When such students graduate, more often than not they are ingrained with more than one specific culture, and that is how they are more accepting of others.

So when Union Minister of Animal Husbandry, Dairy and Fisheries, Giriraj Singh, said that students from missionary schools aren’t ‘sanskari’ enough, there sparked controversy.

According to a report by The Hindu, this is what the minister said while addressing a gathering at Begusarai recently:

“The students who go to missionary schools, though qualify IIT and become engineers, but when they go abroad most of them start eating beef because they do not know about our ‘sanskaar’ and ‘sanskriti’ (traditional values and culture).”

The Hindustan Times reports that Giriraj Singh went on to add how every missionary school should teach ‘shlokas’ (verses) from religious texts such as the Bhagavad Gita and the Hanuman Chalisa as means to resolve this “problem”.

From making jokes to pointing out facts, here is how desi Twitter is reacting:

Don’t tell Giriraj Singh. 😆
Enjoy!

— Suvendu Rout (@suvendu_bapu) January 4, 2020

Is Giriraj Singh paying for what Indians are eating abroad https://t.co/44ZrkhVqOP

— sanjoy adhikari (@sanjoy1110) January 3, 2020

Children who study in missionary schools lack 'sanskaar' – Giriraj Singh

Advani ji studied in St Patrick's High School, Karachi!

— Rashid Hussain (@koolrash2002) January 3, 2020

So the biggest concern this government has is indians eating beef..this is what we have come to…the cow is holier than thou!Indians abroad eating beef, a matter of concern, says Union Minister Giriraj Singh | City – Times of India Videos https://t.co/nJofQ3UbHj

— Rana (@Rana52762809) January 3, 2020

Of course it’s a matter of concern. Why are Indians going abroad? Only to eat delicious beef steaks? #GirirajSingh

— Hubert D S Fernandes (@Hubert75000680) January 3, 2020

By the way we are second largest exporter of Beef After Brazil. We are only sending that beef for our NRIs.

— Sakshi Joshi (@sakshijoshii) January 2, 2020

https://twitter.com/Mumbaichamulgaa/status/1212659942521393152

Do our food choices define how “cultured” we are? Let us know what you think!