The Karnataka unit of Congress announced that the party followers will be staging a demonstration against the controversial textbook revision on June 9. The party has been actively backing intellectuals calling out the changes allegedly made to saffronise the educational material.
The row regarding school textbooks in the state started when the committee removed chapters authored by eminent litterateurs and historic personalities. A chapter on RSS founder Keshav Baliram Hedgewar was considered an attempt by the ruling BJP party to propagate its ideas.
Congress Karnataka unit chief D K Shivakumar told the media all its MLAs and MPs will stage a sit-in demonstration in front of the Gandhi statue at Vidhana Soudha at 10 AM in support of all those who opposed the revision of textbooks. He added that the Congress party is organising the protest because the revision of the textbooks is an insult to historical figures
Despite the allegations, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said his government will not remove the lesson on the RSS founder. However, the chapter on eminent personality Basaveshwara is back in the textbook and the CM said it was not removed. The CM had earlier said his government is open to suggestions.
The Karnataka government had decided to revise the content and set up a textbook revision committee in 2020 after allegations of some chapters being against the Brahmin community. The committee headed by Rohith Chakrathirtha allegedly removed chapters on freedom fighter Bhagat Singh, Mysore ruler Tipu Sultan, Lingayat social reformer Basavanna, Dravidian movement pioneer Periyar, reformers Narayana Guru and Swami Vivekananda.
Former CM Siddaramaiah demanded that the current government halt the printing of the new textbooks and continue with the old versions. SG Siddaramaiah, president of GS Shivarudrappa Prathistana, alleged that the government is honouring those who are spreading communal hate in the society.
Several writers also retaliated saying they withdrew consent to print their work in the textbooks.