Jaipur (Rajasthan): Setting a distinctive example of communal harmony, a government school in the city’s Bhatta Basti area in Shastri Nagar, teaches students to recite Quran and Sanskrit ‘shlokas’ — all under one roof.
“This is a Sanskrit School. Students studying here belong to the Muslim community,” Umeed Khan, who played a key role in getting the school set up, told ANI.
Jaipur’s Bhatta Basti is a fabled Muslim dominated area. In the past, the region was reeling under communal disharmony but away from the hotspot, the state-run school is trying to spread harmony among the students here.
The school conducts classes for the students of Cass I to VIII and is run in two shifts where these students are taught lessons in Urdu and the Quran in the morning followed by Sanskrit ‘shlokas’ in the afternoon.
“These students are motivated by their parents and guardians to study Sanskrit in our school. Parents expect their children to get acquainted with the combined syllabus,” Deepak Sharma, a teacher, told ANI.
Over 400 minority students are studying in this state-run primary school here, who are well-versed in reciting Sanskrit ‘shlokas’ (verses) and the holy lines from the Quran.