Bengaluru: Karnataka Congress will protest against the state government over the textbook revision issue on June 9, said state party chief DK Shivakumar.
“We are protesting on June 9 mainly against the syllabus which they (state government) are trying to change. Be it Ambedkar, Jainism, or Buddhism, they want to remove their stature from textbooks,” said DKS while addressing reporters here today. His remarks came after the Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai slammed the Congress for ‘politicisng everything.’
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has already made it clear that the government will not remove the lesson on Hedgewar. He also disapproved of the charges that Basaveshwara’s chapter has been removed. However, he said his government is open to suggestions on textbook-related issues. The Congress leader also alleged that sub-standard fertilisers were being supplied to farmers. The controversy had erupted with some organizations raising objections over the alleged replacing of a chapter on Bhagat Singh with an essay on a speech by Hedgewar in the revised Kannada textbook for Class 10.
Notably, a section of seers alleged that social reformer Basavanna’s teachings have been distorted in the revised Kannada and social science textbooks for Class X students. The seers also accused the review committee of insulting poet Kuvempu’s state anthem.
The state government issued a clarification that the distorted state anthem was not part of any textbook. The government ordered the cyber crime department to look into the allegations and take necessary actions in this regard.
A controversy surfaced last month over alleged faulty revision in the textbooks in the state curricula. There were demands for the sacking of review committee chief Rohith Chakratirtha. The committee headed by Chakrathirtha was set up to examine and revise the school textbooks.
