Former PM Deve Gowda writes to Karnataka CM seeking withdrawal of controversial textbooks

The former prime minister, who participated in a large protest held in Bengaluru on June 18 over the saffronisation of the textbooks by the Chakrathirtha-led committee, has written to the Karnataka chief minister as an extension of the demands raised at the protest last week.

Responding to the letter, Bommai said: “A letter has been written about the changes in the school textbooks. I will be meeting the officials of the education department and the minister tomorrow and will take a detailed look at the letter and the suggestions in it and whatever is possible will be done.”

In his letter to the chief minister, Janata Dal (Secular) party president Deve Gowda has said that the newly revised textbooks are devoid of values like social justice, equality, and secularism. “It is clearly evident that the values of social justice, equality, secularism and universal humanity, that were professed by Dr Ambedkar and Kuvempu, have been ignored in the textbook revision exercise,” Deve Gowda stated.

“The chairman of the textbook revision committee has insulted the state poet Kuvempu. He has also insulted the state poet by offering a reward for twisting the words in the state song in an obscene manner. By comparing the state flag to innerwear the state pride has been hurt. Along with this Dr Ambedkar has been diminished,” the former prime minister said.

“The first mistake by the government was to entrust the revision of school textbooks to such a person. The number of mistakes committed in the revision of the textbooks is numerous. The picture of Kuvempu has been removed from the social sciences textbook. Key parts in textbooks on the movement launched by (Lingayat saint) Basavanna have been dropped,” Deve Gowda stated.

“The details on the services rendered by the Siddaganga Mutt (of Lingayats) and the Adi Chunchungiri Mutt (of Vokkaligas) have been deleted. The description of Dr Ambedkar as the “architect of the Constitution” has been deleted,” he said.

“Lessons on great regional saints like Akka (Mahadevi), Kanaka (Dasa), Purandara (Dasa) and Sharif (Sishunalla) have been dropped. The topic of warriors like Kempegowda and Surupura Nayak is axed.”

The BJP government headed by Bommai has agreed to revise portions of the textbook pertaining to Dr Ambedkar and Lingayat saint Basavanna after the changes effected were viewed as efforts to diminish the contribution of the two social icons.

The government has, however, ruled out the withdrawal of the revised textbooks. The new textbooks have been printed and nearly 80 per cent of it has reached schools. There is opposition to the new textbooks and the Congress party, the JDS and large sections of civil society in Karnataka have been at the forefront in speaking out against the revised books.

Karnataka school education minister B C Nagesh has claimed that those opposing the revised textbooks have been influenced by communist ideology.