Uttar Pradesh Higher Education Minister Yogendra Upadhyaya has expanded his critique of Western nursery rhymes, moving from "Johny Johny Yes Papa" to the classic "Rain, Rain Go Away." The minister argues that the rhyme's message contradicts Indian cultural values and should be purged from school curriculum.
In a recent conversation with local media, Upadhyaya explained that the rhyme promotes a selfish perspective that clashes with the importance of the monsoon in India.
“What is this? Little Johnny wants to play, so he is asking the rain to go away. This is against our traditions," Upadhyaya stated. "Our tradition is that rain should come because it benefits everyone. But here, for Little Johnny to play, they are asking the rain to leave. That is why it should be removed from textbooks.”
This stance follows the minister's recent criticism of "Johny Johny Yes Papa." During a gathering of shiksha mitras and contractual educators at Kanpur’s Merchant Chamber Hall on May 6, he claimed that specific English rhymes fail to provide the moral foundation required for today’s youth.
The BJP leader focused specifically on the line "Eating sugar? No Papa," arguing that it essentially trains children to lie to their parents. He urged educators to look beyond standard textbooks and embrace the ancient Guru-Shishya parampara, focusing on character building and life lessons.
Upadhyaya drew a sharp contrast between Western rhymes and traditional Hindi poetry. He noted that older generations were raised on poems that carried significant cultural weight and deeper moral value. The Problem with Johnny: The minister believes the character encourages dishonesty. The Problem with the Rain: He views the plea for dry weather as an affront to a culture that views rain as a collective blessing. By questioning why a child would lie about sweets or wish away a vital monsoon, the minister is calling for a pedagogical shift toward indigenous values in Uttar Pradesh's classrooms.
