MPs present a united intolerant alliance

The HRD Ministry set up a six-member committee to scrutinise these textbooks and replace inappropriate material before the academic session resumes after the summer vacation.

To be chaired by S K Thorat,Chairman,Indian Council of

Social Science Research,this committee has been asked to review Class IX to XII Social Science and Political Science textbooks of NCERT from the point of view of identifying educationally inappropriate material in them.

In the House,the issue was brought to the notice of the Lok Sabha by Akali Dal MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal,who got across-the-board support from: Sanjay Nirupam Congress,Yashwant Sinha BJP,Sharad Yadav JDU,Mulayam Singh Yadav SP,Dara Singh Chauhan BSP and Lalu Prasad RJD among others.

Except S D Shariq of National Conference,MP after MP came down heavily against the cartoons claiming these denigrated politicians,poisoned young minds and endangered democracy in the country.

While Badal circulated copies of the cartoons to MPs,the tone was set by Congress president Sonia Gandhi,who was seen expressing her displeasure after Harsimrat handed a copy to her just before the debate began. Sonia,in fact,was seen giving directions,first to Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal and then to Pranab Mukherjee.

All objectionable material,if it is necessary the whole book,will be withdrawn. Responsibility will also be fixed, Mukherjee said to pacify members at the start of Question Hour.

These textbooks are poisoning young,impressionistic minds. Just removing these cartoons from the textbooks will not be enough. Responsibility must be fixed and strict action must be taken in a time-bound manner, Harsimrat said raising the issue again during the Zero Hour.

Taking a cue from Sonia Gandhi,Congress MP Sanjay Nirupam intervened to demand an inquiry against those behind the incorporation of bad taste of cartoons in textbooks. Are these so-called scholars behind the textbooks are part of the conspiracy to defame the political class in this country, Nirupam asked the government.

These are collections of the worst cartoons of politicians. And these books are going to mould the minds of students to hate politicians,politics and endanger democracy, said BJP leader Yashwant Sinha as Sonia Gandhi thumped her desk in appreciation.

The BJP leader also demanded the resignation of HRD minister Kapil Sibal. CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta alleged these cartoons were part of a design to further totalitarianism and fuel sab chor hai sentiment across the country.

Replying to this impromptu debate in the Lok Sabha,Sibal said that the government fully appreciates sensitivities and will ensure that only educationally appropriate material are included in textbooks.

The Thorat committee has been given only a months time not only to complete its scrutiny of textbooks but also come up with appropriate alternatives. Its terms of reference specify that these alternatives should be such that these can be used immediately in the textbooks.

This committee was set up today through am NCERT notification. Its members: Patricia Mukhim,Editor,Shillong Times; Amarjit S Narang,professor of political science in the Indira Gandhi National Open University; Abha Malik,teacher at Sanskriti School; M S S Pandian from the Madras Institute of Development Studies. Saroj Yadav. Head of the Department of Education,NCERT,has been appointed convener.

The NCERT,meanwhile,has begun the process of withdrawing these textbooks from distributors. Several NCERT texts are online as well and are being pulled off the website. It is estimated that over 1 lakh textbooks will be withdrawn as part of this drive.