New Delhi, April 4: Congress leader Rashid Alvi has sharply criticized the proposal from Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to replace Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) with ‘Mahakal Standard Time’ (MST). Speaking on Saturday, Alvi expressed his views during an interview with a news agency.
He stated that those in power can do as they please, but they should first focus on changing themselves. Alvi remarked, “Members of the Bharatiya Janata Party who wear kurta-pajama should abandon foreign influences, such as those adopted from Iran. Debates in the Supreme Court and High Court still occur in English; they should instead be conducted in Indian languages, Sanskrit, and Hindi. They should wear dhotis and adhere to all cultural customs. Merely changing the time will not yield any results.”
Alvi further clarified that he has no objection to the MST proposal, but questioned whether mere name changes lead to development. He noted, “When in power, they are busy renaming roads, cities, and even the Mughal Garden. Yet, they do not engage in any constructive work. They simply rename what others have created and believe that constitutes progress. Now, they wish to change the time as well, but they should first change themselves, including their lifestyle and attire.”
He accused the BJP government of focusing too much on symbolic changes while neglecting real issues such as education, employment, and the economy. Alvi suggested that the MST proposal appears to be part of this symbolic politics.
It is noteworthy that Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan recently proposed adopting MST instead of GMT at the ‘Mahakal: The Master of Time’ international conference in Ujjain. He stated that Ujjain has historically been a center for timekeeping and that the global time system should now align with Indian traditions. This proposal has garnered support from various saints and Hindu nationalist organizations.
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