The State government on Wednesday announced the setting up of a committee to review the contents of school books that have been accused by the Opposition of containing prurient content.
Education Minister Vinod Tawde said the panel would review the books — Bal Nachiketa and Maharshi Ved Vyas — recommended as supplementary reading material for students of Classes I to V. Mr. Tawde said, “When the books were sent to an expert committee for selection, they did not contain the content claimed by the Opposition.”
‘Inappropriate content’
Leader of the Opposition Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil singled out Bal Nachiketa, published by Pune-based Bharatiya Vichar Sadhana, for criticism. He said the book had words like “loss of virginity”, “physical pleasure” and “sexual desire”, which are unsuitable, objectionable and inappropriate for children.
He said Maharishi Ved Vyas, also published by Bharatiya Vichar Sadhana, had a character called Matsyagandha, who says she has a repulsive body odour as she is a fisherman’s daughter.
Mr. Vikhe-Patil said that in a portion in the book, Matsyagandha tells Rishi Parashar: ‘Who will accept me after I have lost my virginity?’ He also said that the book had lines like ‘looking at the movements of her body, Rishi Parashar was possessed by sexual desires’ and ‘he lustfully caught Matsyagandha’s hand’.
On Wednesday, Mr. Tawde said he had not read the books. He said, “Had Mr. Vikhe-Patil called me and brought to notice such facts, I would have ordered a ban on the distribution of the books. The Opposition just wants to gain political mileage from this issue. An expert committee which now look into the objections and take a final call on the distribution of these books.”
Two years ago, the books had been distributed during the Kumbh Mela. However, Mr. Tawde clarified that the content of the books given to students was different. He said, “The copy with the State government is not the one Mr. Vikhe-Patil produced before the media.”
Mr. Tawde claimed there was nothing obscene in the copies of the books purchased by the State government. When asked where they procured these copies from, Mr. Tawde said he would have to check that with the expert committee.
Inflated prices
Mr. Vikhe-Patil also alleged that the State government had bought the books priced at ₹20 for ₹50. He said, “The publishing house has links with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the government has purchased these books at an inflated cost.”
Mr. Tawde, however, claimed that the books were earlier priced at ₹20, but the price was revised because the new prints had superior paper quality.
On the decision to buy books worth ₹59.42 lakh on Prime Minister Narendra Modi as supplementary reading material in State schools, Mr. Tawde said, “The books on Modi were included to cover parts of India’s history and freedom struggle that would not be covered in the books on Mahatma Gandhi and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.”
