Demands for reverting to old textbooks persist despite CM’s assurance

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai’s assertion on Friday night time on the revised college textbooks — that the federal government had an “open thoughts” on additional revisions — doesn’t seem to have stemmed the protests by numerous sections and the demand that the outdated textbooks ought to be restored.

Dalit and scholar organisations, and Opposition events proceed to be up in arms contemplating that, for now, the federal government has in concrete phrases solely agreed to re-edit the lesson on twelfth century social reformer Basaveshwara, assuaging Lingayat seers who had raised objections.

On Ambedkar

Dalit organisations are upset that objections they’d raised over the lesson on Dr. B. R. Ambedkar has not been heeded to. They’ve come down on the Chief Minister, accusing him of taking part in “vote-bank politics”, since he has responded to objections raised by Vokkaliga and Lingayat communities solely. 

Mavalli Shankar, State convener, Dalit Sangharsha Samiti, stated lesson on Dr. Ambedkar be re-edited to voice his criticism of caste hierarchy in Hinduism. He claimed that all the textbook revision betrayed “a step-motherly therapy to writers from oppressed communities.” “We is not going to settle for the revised textbooks. All of the dalit organisations will meet on Monday and resolve on the following course of agitation,” he stated. 

What’s the mechanism?

Scholar organisations have additionally demanded that the Chief Minister take again the revised textbooks. All-India Democratic College students’ Organisation has stated they are going to proceed their agitation. They’ve additionally raised questions on the shortage of readability within the Chief Minister’s statements. “The Chief Minister has stated they’ve an open thoughts to edit any objectionable content material within the textbooks. However what’s the mechanism proposed for a similar and until that course of is accomplished, which textbooks ought to the scholars research?,” the AIDSO questioned. Scholar organisations have termed the Chief Minister’s assertion an eyewash and deceptive. 

Chief of the Opposition within the Meeting Siddaramaiah, in a collection of tweets, hit out on the Chief Minister. “It’s the revised textbook that must be withdrawn and never the committee which has already fulfilled its agenda. If a prejudiced chairman is eliminated, then how can we settle for the textbook revised by his committee?” he questioned.

He additional stated: “It’s the obligation of the Chief Minister to make clear the doubts raised within the minds of the individuals of Karnataka. As a substitute, he’s making an attempt to confuse them additional,” he alleged. “The one technique to clear this confusion is to scrap this controversial revised textbook, represent a brand new committee and proceed to make use of the outdated textbook,” he argued. 

Vokkaligas to protest

Leaders of the Vokkaliga neighborhood, who had raised objections to textbook revision committee head Rohit Chakrathirtha allegedly sharing content material that insulted Nada Geethe (state anthem) penned by Kuvempu, are additionally not comfortable. Author and member of ‘Vishwa Manava Krantikari Mahakavi Kuvempu Horata Samiti’ L.N. Mukundaraj stated his promise that it might be investigated was an “eyewash.”

“The federal government remains to be not taking any critical motion on this regard. So we’ll proceed our agitation towards the federal government and have already determined to stage a protest in Bengaluru, beneath the management of assorted mutts seers,” he stated.