TUMAKURU: On the day the new academic year started in the state on Monday, Primary and Secondary Education Minister BC Nagesh defended the inclusion of a speech by RSS founder Keshav Baliram Hedgewar in the Kannada language textbook for Class X.
“Our focus is on promoting the RSS ideology from which students can derive inspiration on patriotism and nationalism. Those who have been criticising our move should go through the content first and then come for a debate,” he said on the sidelines, even as Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai welcomed students on the first day of the academic year at Empress Karnataka Public School in Tumakuru.
“Some people oppose it as they wish to insert their own ideology into textbooks. There is no question of removing Hedgewar’s speech from the textbook. The book has already gone for print,” he added. “Changes in textbook content is an evolving process. Experts do suggest changes from time to time which have to be incorporated. As per Christian history, the Earth was flat. Should we continue that,” he asked, justifying the inclusion of Hedgewar’s speech by the Textbook Revision Committee.
Bhagat Singh content not removed: Minister
He said it is necessary for young minds to embrace an ideology which is inspirational, instead of merely taking individuals as their role models. “Innumerable leaders have shaped their lives by following the RSS founder’s ideology, including our Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” he said.
He denied that the content on Bhagat Singh was removed from textbooks, and termed media reports false. “Some people oppose it as they wish to insert their own ideology into textbooks. There is no question of removing Hedgewar’s speech from the textbook. The book has already gone for print,” he added.
Teachers’ recruitment a priority
Even as Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai announced that bicycles will be distributed to high school students from the new academic year, minister Nagesh clarified that the government’s priority will be recruitment of 15,000 teachers. “Our priority is quality education and we will think about bicycles next”, he said.