BENGALURU: Minister for Primary and Secondary Education BC Nagesh on Monday officially released the newly revised social science textbook for Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC), while saying the focus of the revision was only on inspiring the students, and not on the religions of the writers.
The just released textbook — 78 percent of the revised textbooks are already printed — includes a biographical chapter on Bhagat Singh written by author Dr G Ramakrishna, as well as a chapter on role models, ‘Nijavaada Aadarsha Purusha Yaaraagabeku?’, written by RSS founder KB Hedgewar. New chapters also included ’Shreshta Bharatiya Chinthanegalu’ by Shatavadhani Ganesh, author in Sanskrit and Kannada and an extempore poet in multiple languages; and ‘Thaayi Bharathiya Amaraputhraru’ by Chakravarty Sulibele, a writer who predominantly writes in Kannada and Hindi and who is the founder of Yuva Brigade (an organisation formed by likeminded individuals who intend to do something good for the country with the teachings of Swami Vivekananda as the guiding principles) and Sodari Nivedita (a women’s organisation started in September 2014 with a vision to spread the ideals of Swami Vivekananda).
The revised textbook also includes passages on Sukdev, Shivarama Hari Rajguru, Narayanguru and Periyaar. Incidentally, the textbook had been revised twice. Previously, the textbook had four other chapters, including an essay on war by Kannada author Sara Abubaker, ‘Vyagragita’ by AN Murthy Rao (the first director of Kannada & Culture Department and who was known for his atheistic thoughts and writings).
Controversy erupted after first revision
The essay talks about eating vegetarian and non-vegetarian food, ‘Mruga Mattu Sundari’, by P Lankesh, which retells the story of ‘Beauty and the Beast’, and a committee-written chapter on Swami Vivekananda titled ‘Thoughts of Swami Vivekananda’.
Controversy erupted post the first revision of the textbook with chapters by AN Murthy Rao, Sara Abbubaker and P Lankesh removed. In addition, the chapters on Bhagat Singh and Swami Vivekananda had also been omitted. Student groups and political parties protested against the numerous omissions after the textbook had been uploaded to the Karnataka Text Book Society’s website. Up till Monday, the old textbook was still available on the website, with Associated Managements Of Schools in Karnataka general secretary D Shashi Kumar saying the issue had delayed the distribution of textbooks. “I had been calling officials nearly everyday on the release, but they had been hesitant to release the book due to fear of controversy,” he told TNIE.
Minister Nagesh on Monday defended the revision, saying, “We focused only on content in inspiring kids on self-respect, self-reliance, and on dedicating themselves to nation. We didn’t focus on religions of writers.” He said, “The chapter of Narayan Guru was removed from History textbook of Class 10 to lighten the syllabus and included in the Kannada textbook. Few lines on Periyar, where he states Rama represented Vaidika and Ravana represented Dravida, have been removed, but chapter on him has been retained.”
Nagesh said, “We didn’t have political orientations unlike Congress which got the syllabus revised in 2014. In 2014, when the Congress got the syllabus revised, they got usage of words “Hindu” “maathrubhumi”, “thainaadu” removed. Among 534 titles, while 83 titles of textbooks of social science from class 6-10 and Kannada from class 1-10 are revised and approved, revision of Kannada text book of class 10 has been at the center of controversy. In this book alone six chapters have been removed and eight new chapters are added under supervision of the committee led by Rohit Chakratheertha.