The textbooks for Kannada-medium schools remain “saffronised”, with thoughts, philosophies and mythologies of only the majority community in focus, though a new Government has taken charge, said the Committee for Resisting Saffronisation of Textbooks.
Suresh Bhat Bakrabail, committee president, told presspersons here on Saturday that even the textbook committee behind the books prescribed for Standard VI, IX have remained the same. He pointed out that cabinet ministers and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah have shown their intentions, on assuming office, to remove objectionable content from the books. “There is a need to dissolve and reconstitute the Karnataka Textbook Society to ensure the books stick to the guidelines prescribed by the NCF (National Curriculum Framework, 2005),” he said.
In the history section of the Standard VI Social Sciences book, Christianity and Islam are described as “something from outside the country”, while even attributing their spread to violence and cruelty, the committee said. The two religions are given disproportionately little space in the textbooks, and even when mentioned is mentioned in negative light.
However caste system, untouchability, superstitions in Hindu religion finds little mention, he said. With the textbooks having been printed and distributed in April, the group has asked the new government to ensure teachers do not elaborate on the objectionable material in the class.
