Concern in RS over controversial text book

The depiction of Gilgit and Northern areas of the PoK as parts of Pakistan in books of Army Schools in Jammu and Kashmir was on Tuesday strongly objected to in the Rajya Sabha with BJP members terming it as shameful and demanding action against those behind it.

The depiction of Gilgit and Northern areas of the PoK as parts of Pakistan in books of Army Schools in Jammu and Kashmir was on Tuesday strongly objected to in the Rajya Sabha with BJP members terming it as shameful and demanding action against those behind it.

Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Prabhat Jha (BJP) wanted to know what the Union HRD Ministry was doing when such things happened.

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"Should it be accepted that the PoK has become Azad Kashmir...which publisher did it...Who dared to write so. Has someone inquired into it. What was the HRD ministry doing? PoK is part of India and never can it be given Azad Kashmir status," Jha said reminding that both Houses of Parliament had also passed a resolution stating this.

"Is Government of India not responsible for this? It is very unfortunate," he said adding, "Will Government of India shirk its responsibility? The government will have to answer responsibly from where such things crept into the class three book. Why the book was not seized? Why no action was taken?"

Jha also pointed that the PoK has not been shown as part of India in Google maps and asked "who dares to do so?"

The book, Map Practice, also calls the Gilgit-Baltistan region, which is a part of PoK, as Northern areas.

Printed by a private publisher, Prabhat Publishing House, the book claims to have been published as per the new syllabus introduced by the Central Board of School Education (CBSE).