Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to include the image of Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha on the Indian currency. However, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) strongly criticized Kejriwal's request, terming it a "failed attempt" to hide his party's "horrific anti-Hindu face" ahead of the upcoming elections. Appealing to the Prime Minister, Kejriwal referred to a country that, despite having a Muslim majority, prints the picture of Lord Ganesha on its notes.
Kejriwal was referring to Indonesia. AAP national convener Kejriwal clarified that his suggestion is not against anyone. He said that even Indonesia, which has more than 85 percent Muslim population and less than two percent Hindu, has a picture of Lord Ganesha on its currency notes. Indonesia prints a picture of Lord Ganesha on its Rs 20,000 note.
There is also a note of Rs 20,000 in Indonesia on which Lord Ganesha is printed. This is the only country where Lord Ganesha is placed on the note. Along with the picture of Lord Ganesha, there is a picture of 'Ki Thousand Devantara' beside it. In 1949, Ki Hajar Devantara Bey was Indonesia's first national education minister. The back of the note has a picture of a classroom in which children are studying. Indonesia is the most populous Muslim country in the world and the third-largest democracy in the world.
The picture of Ganesha on Indonesian currency shows his 'secularism'. The government of Indonesia has officially recognized 6 religions. These include Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Confucianism. But you will be surprised to know that the population of Hindus in Indonesia is less than two percent, 1.7 percent. Despite its small population, its history has been associated with Hindu beliefs and culture. Many such historical sites have been found which show the association of Hinduism with Indonesians.
There are many temples in Indonesia, once under the kings of the Chola dynasty. In this Muslim-majority country, Lord Ganesha is seen as a symbol of wisdom, prosperity, arts, and sciences. Here Ganesh is worshiped as the God of education. This is the reason why Indonesia has given place to Lord Ganesha on the 2000 rupee currency note.
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