Page 19 - EW July 2022

books have been rewritten from a hin- state board schools is underway, the
dutva, Aryan perspective and contain state’s Karnataka Textbook Society
anti-Dravidian, caste and anti-Muslim (KTS) will print these changes/addi-
prejudices of the Rashtriya Swayam- tions as addenda and distribute them
sevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological again. However, according to KTS
mentor organisation of the Bharatiya sources, only one addenda booklet will
Janata Party (BJP) ruling at the Cen- be given per school.
tre and in Karnataka. Protestors have Yet, these “cosmetic changes” have
highlighted that chapters on Mysore’s failed to placate the protestors and
Muslim ruler Tipu Sultan, social re- the opposition Congress party which
former Basavanna, Dravidian move- is demanding complete withdrawal of
ment pioneer Periyar and social re- the texts and continuing classes with
former Narayana Guru who opposed previous year texts. Comments Har-
the caste system, featured in previous shakumar Kugwe, a researcher at
textbooks, have been omitted in new the Bengaluru-based Kuvempu Hora-
textbooks. ta Samithi, one of the organisations in
he genesis of the textbooks row the frontline of protests: “We demand
Tcan be traced to last September total withdrawal of the new textbooks.
when the BJP state government con- They are written from the hindutva
stituted a 15-member Textbook Re- perspective and don’t reflect Karna-
vision Committee (TRC) headed by taka’s plurality and diversity. The TRC
Rohit Chakratirtha, an RSS ideologue headed by Rohit Chakratirtha didn’t
and Kannada language writer. In invite any suggestions or feedback overhaul,” says Maya Menon, found-
March when the committee completed from the public, unlike the previous er-director of the Teacher Foundation
its assignment, it became evident that TRC headed by Baraguru Ramachan- (estb.2002), a Bengaluru-based teach-
class VI-X social science textbooks drappa which had 27 sub-committees er development organisation.
have been rewritten to propagate BJP and incorporated feedback of 30,000 Even as it’s likely to be a long wait
propaganda. Since then opposition teachers. No such public debate and for the eight million children in state
to the content included in new social discussion was encouraged by the board schools to receive the textbook
science textbooks in particular, has Chakratirtha committee.” addenda, the opposition Congress
escalated. Even as protests continue, well-in- party has vowed to make the ruling
With the textbooks row snow- formed educationists in the state are BJP’s textbooks amendments a major
balling into a major controversy, sceptical about the addenda/booklets election issue in the run-up to the leg-
the state’s BJP government issued a reaching schools before year end. islative assembly elections next May.
statement on June 27 that it will make Though schools reopened on May 16, Reshma Ravishanker (Bengaluru)
“eight corrections” in the revised text- the new textbooks were not distrib-
books “keeping in mind sentiments of uted until a month later with some TELANGANA
the society”. The changes include re- news reports claiming that only 60-70
introduction of ‘Samvidhana Shilpi’ percent of the full set of textbooks has Silent education
(architect of the Constitution), a bi- been printed.
ography of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar (class “It’s a mystery as to why the text- revolution
IX social studies textbook); inclusion book’s review process was not com-
of a lesson on the Bhakti sect and Sufi pleted during the almost two years of n sharp contrast with bJp gov-
saints (class VII) and a chapter detail- pandemic lockdown of schools. There ernments at the Centre and in
ing the contributions of Siddaganga is no dearth of excellent academicians Iseveral states which are acquiring
and Adichunchanagiri Mutts (class and experts who can be appointed on a reputation for neglecting and even
VI) to socio-economic development. textbooks review committees. Neither dumbing down early childhood and
Moreover in the class IX social is their lack of excellent model texts primary-secondary education, Telan-
science text, portions about social re- — the 2009 NCERT textbooks for gana’s state government headed
former Basavanna will be re-written instance. The duty of government is by high-profile chief minister K.
and photographs of poet laureate Ku- to provide school children textbooks Chandrasekhar Rao and his son and
vempu and Huilgol Narayana Rao will which are well-balanced and factual, heir-apparent the US educated K.T.
be included in the class VII textbook. and not impose left or right ideolo- Rama Rao, is winning laurels from
Given that the distribution of new gies. The entire textbooks production the middle class for according prior-
textbooks to students in the 74,000 and distribution system needs radical ity to high quality K-12 education.

JULY 2022 EDUCATIONWORLD 19