The Opposition staged a walkout from the Kerala Assembly on Tuesday with the state Education Minister refusing to accept their demands of withdrawing the controversial class VII textbook from the course curricula.Minor clashes were also reported between agitators opposing the Government’s move to introduce the social science book that they say is “designed to promote atheism and communism”.The Congress and several social organisations have been on a warpath for the past one week demanding removal of the textbook and threatened to carry on with their protests unless the Government took remedial measures. The Muslim Student Federation, student wing of Muslim League, and Kerala Students Union, of Congress, stormed into Government offices, clashing with the police and ransacking public property in several district headquarters.In the State Assembly, while replying to an adjournment motion moved by the Opposition, Education Minister M A Baby said the Government would constitute an expert panel to look into the issue. “However, the text book would be retained and action would be taken against the schools which do not teach the book,” said Baby.The Congress was also backed by the Nair Service Society, a powerful organisation of upper class Hindus in Kerala, who demanded that the textbook should immediately be removed. Several Muslim and Christian organisations had already been on a collision course with the Education Department over the issue.
