Background
In early October 2023, claims circulated widely on social media and various news outlets that Saudi Arabia had introduced the ancient Indian epics Ramayana and Mahabharata into its school curriculum as part of the “Vision 2030” initiative led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The claim suggested that this move was part of a broader effort to expose students to diverse cultures and histories, including significant aspects of Indian culture such as yoga and Ayurveda.
The Viral Claim
Journalist Abhijeet Majumder shared a video report from Zee Media’s WION channel on X (formerly Twitter) on October 5, 2023. The report stated that the Ramayana and the Mahabharata would now be taught to Saudi students, which sparked significant attention. Majumder’s post suggested that these epics are not taught in Indian schools due to India’s secular policies, contrasting this with Saudi Arabia’s new educational direction.
The spread of false information accelerated in part due to the UAE’s recent strides towards inclusivity, exemplified by the inauguration of its first Hindu stone temple by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 14th. This magnificent structure, built by the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha on a 27-acre site in Abu Dhabi, cost approximately Rs 700 crore. Initially, the temple opened to a select group of 5,000 invitees and later to the general public. However, in India, the destruction of the 15th-century Babri Mosque by the same Modi government was a tragic event for many Muslims and was considered a major human rights violation. This juxtaposition highlights the cruel reality of realpolitik furthered by oil trade, sidelining faith and values.
Vision 2030 and Curriculum Reforms
Vision 2030 is a comprehensive plan by the Saudi government to diversify its economy and develop various public sectors, including education. Part of this vision involves updating the educational curriculum to include more global perspectives, which led to claims about the inclusion of the Ramayana and Mahabharata.
Nouf Almarwaai, a prominent Saudi yoga instructor and Padma Shri awardee, tweeted screenshots of her son’s social studies exam, which included references to Hinduism, Buddhism, and Indian epics. This tweet was cited as evidence that Saudi schools were incorporating these topics into their curriculum, receiving significant media attention and praise from various quarters, including Indian politicians.
Fact-Checking and Clarifications
Despite the widespread media coverage, the claim that Saudi Arabia had officially incorporated the Ramayana and Mahabharata into its national school curriculum was debunked. Alt News, a fact-checking organization, investigated the matter and found no official statement from the Saudi government confirming such changes. They clarified that the curriculum mentioned in Almarwaai’s tweet belonged to a private international school, not the public school system.
A senior editor based in Saudi Arabia also confirmed that the screenshots shared were from an international school’s exam paper, which included sections on the Indian subcontinent in subjects like social studies and world geography. These references were part of the school’s effort to provide a comprehensive education to students from various cultural backgrounds and should not be confused with the national curriculum.
Saudi journalists and intellectuals further clarified that while private international schools might include such content, the national curriculum for Saudi public schools had not been amended to include the Ramayana and Mahabharata. They emphasized that the educational freedom provided to communities in private schools does not reflect broader changes in the national educational framework.
Conclusion
The viral claim that Saudi Arabia’s national curriculum now includes the Ramayana and Mahabharata as part of Vision 2030 was found to be misleading. The curriculum changes apply to some private international schools, which have more flexibility in their educational content, rather than the national curriculum for public schools.