New guidelines for events at government schools, says CM Stalin
A government school in Tamil Nadu’s capital Chennai faced intense criticism on social media after inviting a spiritual speaker who discussed rebirth and blamed children for their life struggles on Teacher’s Day.
Mahavishnu from the Paramporul Foundation was invited to deliver a motivational talk at a government school in the Mylapore area, but instead delved into spiritual themes like cycle of rebirth, sins and karma, sparking outrage among the public and politicians alike.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, without directly mentioning the now viral video of Mahavishnu’s speech, stressed the importance of scientific thinking, adding that he has ordered the formulation of guidelines in various school programmes to ensure that students get exposure to progressive ideas. “Science is the way to progress,” he said.
Mahavishnu, during his speech, said, “Gurukulams were systematically destroyed by the British. Just reading a mantra can cause fire rain, heal one’s body, can make you fly, but all these secrets which were written on palm leaves were lost due to British rule.”
He further said, “If God was kind, everyone should be born equal. One is born rich while the other is born poor. One is born a criminal while the other is born a hero. Why such differences? What you did in your last birth, you were given this birth.”
A school staff member objected to the speaker’s comments, stating that he was invited for a motivational talk, not a spiritual discourse. This led to a heated argument, with Mahavishnu accusing the staff member of having “ego issues”.