Chapter on Bhagat Singh not removed: Karnataka Textbook Society

Bengaluru: Amid allegations in some quarters that a lesson on freedom fighter Bhagat Singh was omitted, the Karnataka Textbook Society on Tuesday clarified that the chapter has not been removed, and the Kannada textbook of Class 10 is currently at the printing stage.

Organizations like All-India Democratic Students Organisation (AIDSO) and All-India Save Education Committee (AISEC) had alleged that a speech by RSS founder Keshav Baliram Hedgewar was included in the textbook while omitting a lesson on Bhagat Singh.

”Currently there are reports in the media that a lesson on Hedgewar has been included into class 10 first language Kannada text book by omitting a chapter on Bhagat Singh. The reality is that the chapter on Bhagat Singh has not been omitted from textbooks,” the society said in a statement.

It is hereby clarified that the revised first language Kannada textbook of class 10 is currently under printing, it said.

Noting that the committee headed by Rohith Chakrathirtha was constituted to examine Social Science and language textbooks and revise them, the clarification note further said, the Committee has revised Social Science text books from class 6 to 10 and Kannada language text books from class 1 to 10.

Primary and Secondary Education Minister B C Nagesh on Monday defended inclusion of a speech by Hedgewar in a revised Kannada textbook.

He had said that the textbook does not contain anything about Hedgewar or RSS, but only his speech on what should be an inspiration to people, especially the youth, and that those who have raised objections have not gone through the textbook.

The organisations have also alleged that works by renaissance literary figures like A N Murthi Rao’s ‘Vyaghrageethe,’ P Lankesh’s ‘Mruga Mattu Sundari,’ and Sara Aboobacker’s ‘Yuddha’ were omitted from the textbook.

Commenting on the issue, Karnataka Congress President D K Shivakumar said: ”Today they are removing Bhagat Singh, tomorrow they will remove Mahatma Gandhi.” ”Let us never forget the sacrifices of those who freed us from colonialism,” he added.