Maryam Asif Siddiqui, a girl from Cosmopolitan School, Mira Road, Mumbai won the Gita Champions League. The 12-year-old competed against 5,000 people in this competition which was organised by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) this January. The competition was based on the children’s knowledge of the Bhagawat Gita.
Now, what makes her so different from the others? No, it’s not her age, but its her religion. This Muslim girl not only knows the text by heart, but also holds an understanding of its philosophy, besides narrating ad verbatim from the book.
The credit goes to Maryam’s father who not only encouraged her to read and understand the Gita but also encourages his other children to read all religious books everyday for a minimum 20 mins.
President Pranab Mukherji, impressed with her achievement, met Maryam to congratulate her, and encouraged her effort to inculcate fraternal feelings.
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