Explained: The row over textbook chapters in Karnataka
India Today
A textbook revision has led to a major crisis in Karnataka. Writers, scholars and seers have joined in protest against the state government over the removal of chapters on social reformers and religious figures.
A controversy surrounding school textbooks is raging in Karnataka with scholars, writers, politicians and seers all up in arms against the government. Here's how a routine textbook revision led to a major socio-political crisis in the southern state.
The Karnataka government set up a textbook revision committee in 2020, after it received complaints that some chapters or sections in Kannada textbooks were against the Brahmin community.
The revision committee headed by writer Rohith Chakrathirtha recently revised social science textbooks from Classes 6 to 10 and Kannada language textbooks from Classes 1 to 10. The Karnataka government then ordered the printing of school textbooks ahead of the academic year.
But following the revision, reports emerged that chapters on freedom fighter Bhagat Singh, Mysore ruler Tipu Sultan, Lingayat social reformer Basavanna, Dravidian movement pioneer Periyar, reformers Narayana Guru and Swami Vivekananda were allegedly removed from the syllabus or severely distorted.
However, a speech by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh founder Keshav Baliram Hedgewar made its way to the revised class 10 Kannada textbook.
It was the inclusion of the RSS founder's speech that initially kicked up the political storm with the Karnataka Congress accusing the BJP-led government of 'saffronisation' of education. State Congress chief DK Shivakumar (DKS) wrote to CM Bommai urging him to drop the new syllabus and continue with the old.
"I request you to cancel the current syllabus, take back the new textbooks and continue to use the old ones," DKS said. He added that many writers too have expressed disappointment.
