Panel to be formed, 15% revision in textbooks likely: Karnataka education minister

The education minister said that a textbook revision committee would be formed under the leadership of the chief minister Siddaramaiah

Amid the controversy over textbook revisions by the previous BJP regime in the state, primary and secondary education minister Madhu Bangarappa said on Saturday that a committee would be formed under the leadership of chief minister Siddaramaiah and the Congress government is committed to fulfilling its promises.

Siddaramaiah said the Congress government would take appropriate action so that education of children is not affected. (HT Photo)

“We have already mentioned in the manifesto about revising the textbooks and that will be done as promised by chief minister Siddaramaiah. We will carry out the revision so that children do not suffer,” Bangarappa said in Shivamogga on Saturday.

Amid calls from progressive thinkers and writers to remove the controversial revisions in textbooks made during the previous BJP government in the state, the education minister said that a textbook revision committee would be formed under the leadership of the chief minister, adding that 15% revision could be expected.

“We expect revisions to be about 15%. We are already working on that. Some words have to be removed. There are some elements that sow poisonous seeds in the minds of children and they need to be removed,” Bangarappa said.

Bangarappa visited renowned writer Baraguru Ramachandrappa on Friday to discuss the controversial revisions. He is expected to hold discussions with the chief minister on Monday, people familiar to the matter said.

He said that he has already spoken to writers and experts in this regard. “We will take action immediately so that this kind of problem does not arise next year.”

Last week, about 30 academicians and writers met the chief minister in Bengaluru and submitted a memorandum with various demands to reform the education sector, including the controversial revisions in textbooks and ban on hijab in educational institutions.

After the meeting, Siddaramaiah had said the Congress government would take appropriate action so that education of children is not affected. “There is no question of compromise in the protection of harmony and secular heritage of Karnataka. Politics of hatred will be removed and the climate of fear will be eradicated,” Siddaramaiah said.

Last year, the textbook revision committee, headed by Rohith Chakrathirtha, had drawn flak from writers, academics, religious leaders and opposition parties, who accused the government-appointed panel of attempting to “saffronise” the curriculum by dropping works of social reformers and progressive thinkers.

The revised textbooks triggered opposition from various quarters for distortion of history and pushing a right-wing, pro-Hindutva ideology. Among the objections that were raised include omission of chapters on social reformer Narayana Guru, freedom fighter Bhagat Singh, and works of progressive writers such as Sara Aboobacker and P Lankesh. Meanwhile, chapters on RSS founder KB Hedgewar, works of right-wing ideologues such as Chakravarti Sulibele, Govinda Pai and Bannanje Govindacharya, among others, were included.

Besides, objections were also raised over omissions and commissions in chapters relating to religious icons such as 12th century social reformer Basavanna, personalities such as Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, among others. Noted writers such as Devanur Mahadev, G Ramakrishna, S G Siddaramaiah among other had withdrawn permission for use of their works in the textbooks in protest.

Meanwhile, former chief minister Basavaraj Bommai, however, had taken exception to the Congress government’s plans of reviewing the changes made to the textbooks.

“We had introduced certain new lessons based on Indian culture, literature and principles. However, the new government is trying to target this, and is set to form a new committee to reverse this. The society will respond to this,” Bommai said last week.