"Episode an affront to freedom of expression and attacks on Ambedkar himself"
Activists and Dalit intellectuals have expressed concern over the move to carry out changes in NCERT textbooks, in the wake of the recent controversy over an Ambedkar cartoon. What happened in Parliament, where a section of members raised the issue of the 1949 cartoon by Shankar Pillai published in a Standard XI Political Science textbook, was a brazen attempt at wooing the Dalit vote bank, they charged at a meeting here. The NCERT books were well-produced and of high quality, they asserted.
The People's Union for Civil Liberties, Rajasthan; the Centre for Dalit Rights, the Janwadi Lekhak Sangh, the Bharatiya Gyan Vigyan Samiti (BGVS) and Idara termed the controversy “uncalled for.” The groups have decided to organise meetings to read out contents from all banned textbooks, including “300 Ramayanas,” and hold exhibitions of the banned cartoons.
“What is extremely disturbing is the manner in which Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal apologised in Parliament, and conceded the demands for removal of the cartoons and stopping of distribution of books,” said a statement issued by the groups.
“We are certain that there's nothing objectionable in the Nehru-Ambedkar cartoon by itself, and the text accompanying it. In fact, it is highly appreciative of the hard work by the Constituent Assembly under the leadership of Dr. B. R Ambedkar.”
Leading Dalit activist and Centre for Dalit Rights chairman P. L. Mimrot said, “In fact, it appeared to me, that it was for the first time, Baba Saheb received this kind of prominence in an NCERT book.”
Describing as “cowardly” the attack on Suhas Palsikar, who has since submitted his resignation as Chief Adviser to the NCERT (Political Science), Dalit activist and editor of Diamond India Bhanwar Meghwanshi, said: “If the caption is read with the cartoon, no one can find fault with it.”
“Fascist tendencies'
Rajeev Gupta, Professor of Sociology in Rajasthan University, termed the whole episode an affront to freedom of expression and attack on Ambedkar himself.
“The whole attitude reeks of fascist tendencies. The Minister ordered the removal of the cartoons, even without referring the matter to an academic committee.”
It was pointed out that out of the 32 cartoons in NCERT books, 16 pertained to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.
‘Education implies openness'
“In the past also, texts have been deleted, and books have been tampered with, and people have had cases filed against them, merely in the name of upsetting public opinion.
“It is important to know that the endeavour of education isn't to indoctrinate the minds of the young, or teach them any one ideology… Education essentially implies having openness towards all points of view.
“The young must know that there are many dimensions to any issue,” said the statement signed by Prem Krishna Sharma, Kavita Srivastava and Radha Kant Saxena of the PUCL, Rajasthan; M. Hasan of Idara; Komal Srivastava of the BGVS; and academicians and activists Prakash Chaturvedi, Vishwambhar, Rajeev Gupta, Rajendra Saiwal, Govind Beniwal and Shiv Singh.
Keywords: Bharatiya Gyan Vigyan Samiti, cartoon row, vote-bank politics, NCERT book syllabus, political science textbook, Dalit activists
Our Politicians have understood of all one phrase correctly "Divide and Rule". Till now they have been giving or promising subsidiaries to split people apart and try to favor them... Its heartwarming to know our minority communities have understood the guile of vote bank politics and started to putting their voice forward…And the most alluring thing is that all mini acts of un-fondly love come right before election of big states…
I hope the same sense of sanity prevails the dalit leaders in Bangalore, who have stopped the metro underground work near Vidhana Soudha, objecting the shifting of a statue of Dr. Ambedkar.
We were taught that the britisher divided and ruled. What are our law-givers,law makers doing now? In the name of upholding respect and honour they think that they are doing great service to certain division of the society.All they want is votes,votes and nothing more.
In 1949, the cartoonist predicted that the constitution will be at snail-pace. Good Forecast indeed!!
It is clear, the reason for parliamentarians across the political spectrum gunning
for the 1949 cartoon,is no party wants to be seen as against dalits, fearing a
backlash in the hustings from them. Fortunately, even the poor amongst the "aam
admi" have matured now,as seen recently in the UP Assembly elections,where the
tactics of "vote bank" politics to woo the muslims by Congress failed miserably. In
this context, the voices raised against the lawmakers by various dalit groups in
Jaipur assumes significance,as is the statement of Mr Prakash Ambedkar, grandson
of Dr BR Ambedkar,who said, the Father of the Indian Constitution himself would
not have opposed the cartoon.
It was certainly not the ignorance of people’s representatives on this
but their sliest astuteness in using every issue for political gains
which lead to the Minister’s surrender and the subsequent order for
withdrawal the said caricature. It was disgrace that he had to tender
an unqualified apology to the breed of politicians for their over-
sensitivity in making a deity out of the great leader Dr.B.R.Ambedkar.
They hardly know the fact that the great leader who was a staunch
supporter of freedom of expression was against anyone using him as a
‘deity' as his life-long struggle was to exonerate ‘deities' that
persuaded the psyche of our citizens, especially the underprivileged.
Our young generation must know that the educationists who were
responsible to reproduce the satirical caricature in the Political
Science Text book with good intention are not wrongdoers.
Our MPs had conveniently ignored the fact that the cartoon just
related the time at 1948 when there was a public clamour for an ideal
Constitution as early as possible. The gratuitous ‘poignant attitude’
of political leaders had obviously shown the immaturity of our
democratic set-up and the violent incidences in connection with the
same will certainly discount the image of India’s distinction
globally, at time when our Parliament celebrates the 60th anniversary.
Eminent historian Dr. K.N. Panikkar could come out with his ammunition
against antagonists of satirical cartoons being used as pedagogic
device to impart knowledge on history to school students. It is really
encouraging to see that intellectuals belong to Dalit communities too
could boldly come out against the political leaders who manipulated
the episode to disrespect the stature of Dr.B.R. Ambedkar.
Amazing !! Bold step Mr Mimrot and thanks for letting us know your view. This is what our country needs.
With barely any breed of statesmen amid crowing politicians belonging
to parties divided on Caste based ethnic-thinking with biased
attitudes, MPs wrongly perceived the old Cartoon as if it had shown
Ambedkar in a degraded position for being responsible for the snail’s
pace in framing the Constitution for which he had taken whippings from
the then Prime Minister. Their mindset imagined Ambedkar, the colossal
icon deficiently depicted in the reproduced cartoon for the present
day context, though both Nehru and Ambedkar are no more with us now.
Hence they deliberately instigated people with big hue and cry on the
same. The spectrum of all mushroomed political parties together with
some leaders of mainstream parties that competes each other in
projecting themselves as the icon’s authentic followers wanted to take
political mileage creating ruckus on the issue.
The intellectuals representing the dalit community are absolutely correct. This is not about cartoons or freedom of speech or political correctness or about dalit pride. This is about vote-bank politics, the only currency that our politicians recognize. This is a way for politicians to find out if the dalit community can be herded together to vote one way based on an issue. Despite the intellectual voices in the dalit community seeing through the facade, it still remains to be seen whether the "aam aadmi" dalit will be moved by these issues enough to influence the votes.
It is heartening that these learned people recognise the issue for what it is: shameless vote bank politics. The ruling parties are as responsible for using caste as a weapon for political mileage as the opposition parties are, and the politicians are as responsible for the sad state of affairs as the ordinary citizen is.
It is high time we stopped looking at issues through the glasses of caste, religion, region, and so on.
So the community that was being wooed for vote has seen everything through. That the debate over the cartoon was unfortunate was accepted by everyone with sanity. But they ran the risk of being dubbed inconsiderate towards the feelings of the Dalits. But now that the Dalits themselves have come forward to decry the drama over the cartoon signifies changing attitudes of our minority communities and accommodating mindset as to what constitute offence to their revered leaders. It also lends credibility to the voice of those against such politicization of the issue and attempt to polarize people on ethnic line. Politicians are going to find it difficult to persuade them by whipping up a non-issue into a major one and thus express their sympathy to them in exchange for vote. The appeasement politics that they have played thus far is fast losing its edge.
My congratulations to Mr Mimrot for getting to the heart of the matter
and for making his views known to the media. Now we all know what will
happen...he will be accused of "attacking" Parliament, some old
lawsuit against him will be dug out of the chest, or one will be
slapped against him. Also, the IT dept will send him a notice for
unpaid taxes, which they for some reason withheld till the moment he
chose to open his mouth against the govt.
Funny how our Parliamentarians think they are the Jacks of All Trades,
that they understand what's best for young minds better than the
nation's leading academics do.
The manner in which the HRD minister apologized was a clear indication that votes
and appeasing the so called discontented lot was much more important than the
social and intellectual progress of the nation. This ubiquitous selfishness among politicians is a tragedy. NCERT books used to be very drab and dreary but in the recent past some sincere effort was made by adding elements that inspire, motivate and stimulate the young mind of students. It is terribly tragic that we elect self-serving politicians and hope they will lead us. They do not lead us from the front, instead they pander to vulgarity and appease the basest of the least intelligent. As long as visionless politicians sans imagination lead a country there will not be progress. With 1.2 billion we have only a handful of Nobel laureates but 12 million Jews have 184 of them.
A well thought over article against the MPs and ministers who have
reacted without actually going through the text accompanying the 1949
cartoon and as such the controversy was uncalled for wasting the
Parliament. The concerned minister also apologised and agreed to
withdraw the text book. It appears that everybody want the vote bank
politics only.
Oh! What a sane voices of reason here. Both Kapil Sibal and Pranab
Mukherjee went overboard to please Dalits and backward classes as one up
man ship over the disgusting Mayawati and her ilk's attempts to make an
issue out of a non-issue.
The hindu deserves praise for publishing the original cartoon of Shankar, the David Low of
India. Shankar, one of the topmost cartoonists of India and was very close to Panditji. In
fact, Shankar had the liberty to enter the chambers of the then PM without prior notice and
Panditji told Shankar then " Shankar, don't spare me". That was the greatness of the then
PM, who was called "The jewel of India" by no less a person than the Father of our nation.
Even Dr Ambedkar would not have criticized Shankar on this. Also Panditji as well. Both
The stalwarts would have looked on the theme contained in the cartoon and would have
tried to take lessons Theron. The theory that the Brahmin prime minister beat the Dalit
legal icon , did not strike anybody then and will not strike anybody now as well. I am happy,
the Dalits have no complaint now. There should be definable borders on playing political
Games. Mr Sebastian. My salutations to you for this excellent write up.
It is great to see Politicians joining their hands and acting efficiently on an issue which could win the sentiments of certain sections of the society for their potential benefit in future elections.
What happens to them when it comes to act on real problems on ensuring quality health and education to every child and creating jobs to educated youth...It is an irony that we have been seeing such tricks by out great politicians but still we allow them to do this ...
It would help if the author explained why the cartoon was controversial.
When I was reading this article, I was trying to figure out what the
cartoon meant, I didnt see the explanation anywhere?
A fabulous reaction by Dalit activists... Even they know what these politicians have done over the years for upliftment of lower castes. The rich have become richer and poor have become poorer.
By describing the attack on Mr. Suhas Palsikar as cowardly, they have behaved in a very matured manner.
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