A teaching module has Hindu groups upset.
By Sreekanth A. Nair
A Malaysian university’s teaching module that allegedly term Hindus in India as ‘dirty’ and ‘unclean’ has sparked a controversy.
The Hindu community in the Muslim-dominated nation came down hard on the slides from the modules published online by Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), reported The Indian Express.
The slides claimed that maintaining dirt and an unhygienic lifestyle was part of the Hindu community to achieve nirvana.
Many community leaders criticized the university’s move and demanded a review of the modules prepared by the university. When the issue gathered public attention, Deputy Education Minister P Kamalanathan said that the university would review the modules.
“I have just spoken to the Vice Chancellor of UTM and he has acknowledged the mistake,” Kamalanathan, said on a Facebook post.
Another slide claims that Guru Nanak didn’t have a proper understanding of Islam so that he combined it with Hinduism to pave the way to Sikh religion.
Malay Mail online reported that the university authorities have agreed to the suggestions of Kamalanathan and would make necessary changes soon. The minister has alleged that the slides may be created to intentionally misrepresent the Hindu religion.
The Malaysian Indian Progressive Association (MIPAS) condemned the modules and sought an apology from the university.
“The teaching is insulting followers of Hinduism as a dirty community and a community that regard physical filth as part of its religious practice,” MIPAS said in a statement.
“MIPAS condemns completely, the actions of UTM for publishing and allowing such a module that contains negative elements in its educational course that carries elements of insult and harassment as well as demean the purity of the Hindu faith,” MIPAS secretary-general S Barathidasan said.
Hindraf Makkal Sakthi demanded the education minister to conduct an inquiry into the matter and called for the suspension of the lecturers who created the modules.
“The slides preached that assuming and maintaining dirt and an unhygienic lifestyle was part of slaving oneself to achieve nirvana,” Hindraf Chair P Waythamoorthy was quoted as saying by Free Malaysia Today.
“Any inaction would go to show the government’s tacit support to promote hate and bigotry in educational institutions,” he added.
The Muslim-majority nation has only less than eight percent Hindus.