CHENNAI: Following objections against the alleged ‘denigration’ of the Nadar community in a class textbook, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has clarified that the section on ‘Upper Cloth Revolt’ in Southern India has been removed.
Published by the National Council for Educational Research and Training, the social science textbook prescribed for class IX students is used by several state boards, besides CBSE. The references were made regarding the revolt in the erstwhile Travancore state, covering parts of present-day Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
According to the text, in 1822, women of the Shanar caste, who later were known as Nadars, were attacked by higher caste for wearing a cloth across their upper body.
But under the influence of Christian missionaries, the community started wearing tailored blouses. However, in 1829, the Travancore government directed Shanar women not to cover their upper parts. But it was met with a fierce and sustained resistance, leading to a confrontation with the Nair community. This subsequently forced the government to permit Shanar women, to wear a jacket, or cover their upper body “in any manner whatever, but not like the women of high caste”, the book read. The text book reference was severely condemmed by various political parties in the state as well as Nadar community. They claimed that the text conveyed wrong information, which misled students.
As Chief Minister, J Jayalalithaa, in 2012, also wrote to the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh seeking his intervention to remove the objectionable references. Now, the CBSE in a circular said, the section concerned stands omitted from the curriculum. The circular also said, no questions from this section should be asked in the exams.