'Hurting religious sentiments': Poem by Dalit writer ordered to be excluded from 4th std textbooks

Bengaluru: In a controversial move Karnataka government ordered a poem by a famous Dalit writer to be dropped from the curriculum of 4th standard students.

Karnataka Education Minister B.C. Nagesh has ordered the exclusion of the poem “Bhoomi” by late Siddalingaiah from 4th standard textbook, IANS quoted sources as saying on Saturday.

The report further said that the decision has been made in the view of complaints received against the poem for hurting religious sentiments. The poem was incorporated into the syllabus by the Textbook Revision Committee headed by Baraguru Ramachandrappa during the Congress rule.

The Textbook Revision Committee formed by the BJP government headed by Rohith Chakrathirtha did not revise this textbook. Allegations surfaced that the “Nali-Kali” section of the textbook, which is meant for compulsory co-curricular learning, is hurting religious beliefs with its controversial content.

Many Hindus consider the sun and moon as sacred.

The Committee also kept another controversial line that says religious mutts are cheating traps, sources in the Education Department stated.

The poem further says that no one has seen the ‘aatma’ (spirit) of the God, and that Shastras and Puranas are bundles of lies, and the palace and the abode of the guru are also traps.

The state government has announced a revision of the controversial aspects of the syllabus revised by the Rohith Chakrathirtha-led committee after a huge backlash. The committee revised Kannada textbooks (Class 1 to 10) and social science textbooks (Class 6 to 10).

(With IANS inputs)