MYSURU: The debate on who should be given the credit for constructing Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) dam is back in focus. Now, a chapter in the Kannada textbook for second standard children has become a bone of contention among Urs community and dalit organisations as the chapter attributes the dam construction to Sir M Visvesvaraya.The Urs community and dalit organisations have been arguing that the credit of building the dam should go Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar, the erstwhile ruler of Mysore Kingdom.
According to them, Visvesvaraya was just one among the seven chief engineers who oversaw the construction. In fact, it was Nalwadi who was responsible for the final product as he had even pledged his wife’s jewellery to mop up funds for it.They now say that the ‘same mistake’ is being introduced despite revising the textbook for this academic year.
The textbook revision committee headed by writer Baraguru Ramachandrappa was empowered to de-saffronise and remove errors in textbooks. The state government, which accepted the committee report, had revised the textbooks from Classes 1 to 8 accordingly.Prof P V Nanjaraj Urs, a historian who recently released his book ‘Naanu Kannambadi Katte’ credits Nalwadi for KRS dam. The book was released by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who expressed regret over the issue, stating that he had requested Ramachandrappa to correct it.
“Since it is a textbook prescribed by the government, the teachers have no choice but to continue teaching the same. I will talk to the CM and Ramachandrappa and try to get it corrected,” Nanjaraj Urs said.
Nandish G Urs, president of Karnataka State Ursu Mahasabha, said along with dalit organisations like BVS, Nalwadi’s admirers have planned to stage protests in Mysuru and Bengaluru over the issue.
“We will launch the protest in front of Nalwadi’s statue outside Crawford Hall on Tuesday. Petitions will be submitted to CM Siddaramaiah and Education Minister Tanveer Sait urging them to revise the textbook yet again,” he said.