Karnataka govt puts out document to defend textbook revision

Revenue Minister R Ashoka told reporters that discussion on textbooks has never been this wide. Earlier, textbooks were based on “agenda and hidden agenda”.

Rohith Chakrathirtha, head of the Textbook Revision Committee. 

BENGALURU: The government on Thursday released details of revised textbooks to defend its decision on not withdrawing the books. The government released a document of over 250 pages, defending the revised textbooks printed as per the recommendation of the Rohith Chakrathirtha Committee.

Revenue Minister R Ashoka told reporters that discussion on textbooks has never been this wide. Earlier, textbooks were based on “agenda and hidden agenda”. He alleged that the previous textbook revision committee had removed words related to Hindu and Hinduism. They have removed Rama, Krishna, Eshwara, Shivaji, Rajput from the earlier textbooks.

The Baraguru Ramachandrappa Committee was constituted for minority appeasement. They did not want chapters related to Indian culture and heritage, but instead exaggerated about Tipu Sultan, Mughals and others. “They have given six pages on contribution of Tipu Sultan and Hyder Ali to Mysuru region, but no mention of the Wadiyar dynasty which built KRS and many educational institutions,’’ he added.

Some points raised

• In Class 10 Kannada textbook, lessons on Ambedkar, Mahatma Gandhi and Swami Vivekananda were removed. Now, the same have been included
• Congress govt had reduced Vijayanagara dynansty to king families. It is rectified
• Baraguru Ramachandrappa Committee had reduced number of prose and poetry of Rashtrakavi Kuvempu from 8 to 7. They had removed Kuvempu’s Anale poem from Ramayana Darshanam
• There was no mention of Kempegowda in previous textbooks, it is corrected
• Slavery practiced during Khilji’s time was not included in Baraguru Committee books
• Gandhi reading Bhagwad Gita during communal riots post the Partition was not mentioned in old textbook