'Government will not withdraw new school textbooks'

Bengaluru: Amid protests, Karnataka Primary and Secondary Education Minister B C Nagesh said that government will not withdraw the new school textbooks.

However, the government will make corrections to content based on objections filed by citizens, Nagesh informed.

The minister further said that 92 percent of the textbooks have been printed already and 79 percent have reached schools and by July 15, the revised textbooks will reach all schools across the state.

The textbook controversy had erupted with some organizations raising objections over the alleged replacing of a chapter on Bhagat Singh with an essay on a speech by RSS founder Keshav Baliram Hedgewar in the revised Kannada textbook for Class 10.

Subsequently, there were charges about the omission of a chapter on Narayana Guru and several other prominent figures and their literary works.

There have been demands by opposition Congress and some writers for action against Chakratirtha for allegedly saffronising school textbooks by including Hedgewar’s speech, and omitting chapters on key figures like freedom fighters, social reformers, and writings of noted literary figures.

There are also allegations of erroneous content on 12th century social reformer Basavanna and certain factual errors in the textbooks, including accusations of disrespecting ‘Raashtra Kavi’ (national poet) Kuvempu and distortion of the state anthem penned by him.

Following the raging controversy, the government recently “disbanded” the textbook review panel, as its designated work was completed, and had said that it is open for further revision if there is any objectionable content.

It has also placed before the people the contents of the original text book and those revised during the erstwhile Congress and the present BJP regimes.

The Samiti at the protest today wanted to handover the charter to Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai. However as it could not happen, it was handed over to Gowda to be forwarded to the government.