Academics, writers list reasons to scrap revised textbooks

NT Correspondent
Bengaluru

Prominent writers, scholars and academicians attended the convention orgnaised by the All India Save Education Committee (AISEC) to protest against the revised textbooks in the city on Wednesday. 
AISEC president Rajashekhar V N  noted that it was a “historical moment” to have so many renowned personalities from all over the state together on the same platform to speak for a common cause. “We urge the government to withdraw the revised textbooks and reinstate the old books in the curriculum,” he said. 

He called the entire controversy a “painful issue”. Comparing the old and new social science textbooks for Class 8, he said the ideology of the ruling government is being imposed on students by the addition of chapters on ‘Akhand Bharat’ and ‘Sanatan Dharma’. 

A Murigeppa, retired vice-chancellor of Hampi Kannada University, said the genesis of the issue could be traced to the introduction of the National Education Policy 2020. Questioning the necessity of the NEP, he asked how a national policy could be implemented without any debate, discourse or consultation. He acknowledged that change is necessary but “there should be a reason for change”. He said that there is nothing wrong in opposing the government when it is at the wrong end. 
Noted educationist V. P. Niranjan Aaradhya deemed the entire process of textbook revision as unconstitutional. He added that a “normative framework” which has been followed from 1968 in the textbook revision process was ignored and the revisions were made without consulting any teachers or writers. He also pointed out that Rohith Chakratirtha’s committee had a “partial mandate” to submit a report. “He had no mandate to revise the books,” he said. Aaradhya said all the tenets mentioned in the Preamble of the Constitution were violated by the revision process and urged all Indians to come together and fight to save the Constitution.

Professor S. G. Siddaramaiah said that the government claims to be teaching the students ‘Desha Prema’ (love for country) but it is actually teaching them ‘Dwesha Prema’ (love for hatred). He questioned how the government could constantly ignore the public. Calling the revision a betrayal, he urged the chief minister to not further alienate children from education.
Poet Mudnakudu Chinnaswamy spoke about the elimination of Dalit literature from the textbooks. He called the revised textbooks “Anti-dalit, anti-muslim and anti women” and urged the government to scrap the textbooks.

Former Advocate General of Karnataka, Ravivarma Kumar called the textbook revision “nothing but apartheid”. He expressed concern over the government’s effort to eliminate Dalit literature and British history. “None of them (BJP) have any pride in the Constitution or the Freedom Struggle,” he said while questioning why students should study about Hedgewar.  Renowned writer Allamaprabhu Bettaduru pointed out that no objections were raised against the revisions made by Baraguru Ramachandrappa because his committee followed the constitutional process. “I urge the government to bring the old textbooks back,” he said.