BENGALURU: A day after the state government released a 250-page document defending Rohith Chakrathirtha committee’s revision of schools textbooks, Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah issued a statement on Friday, countering the government stand.
He urged CM Basavaraj Bommai to dismiss ministers R Ashoka, Shivaram Hebbar, CC Patil and Byrati Basavaraju, who addressed media persons on Thursday, for “lying to the people”. Ashoka had alleged that the textbooks revision committee, headed by Baraguru Ramachandrappa during the Siddaramaiah government, had committed blunders.
Siddaramaiah said, “It is a false claim that our government dropped lessons on Mysuru Wadiyars and Kempe Gowda. More information was included in the Class VII social science textbook than the previous committee headed by Mudambadittaya had proposed.” He alleged Ashoka tried to politicise the issue by holding a press conference with his cabinet colleagues, who do not have any information about it. Instead of setting up a committee to study the blunders committed by Chakrathirta, the government is defending him, he alleged.
“After so many days since the issue broke out, the government chose to address the press conference through its ministers. None of them are related to the Education Department and three of them are from Shudra communities. Even the education minister has not shown interest in addressing the people,” he said.
The Baraguru Ramachandrappa committee had addressed the diversity and sensibilities of the land and language, he said. “The BJP government, along with RSS, is tacitly working to spoil the minds of young children in the name of revision of textbooks. Instead of addressing issues highlighted by the people, the government is out to justify the wrongs done by the Chakrathirtha committee,” he alleged.
Lessons on Statute principles
“The lessons should reflect constitutional principles and not promote hatred and unscientific principles. The Constitution says India is a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic and republic country. It speaks of social, economic and political justice. These should be taught to students. It is clear that new texts reflect the ideology of BJP and RSS,” Siddaramaiah alleged.