A petition submitted to Prof. Sukhadeo Thorat, Chairperson, NCERT Textbooks Review Committee, by leading Dalit and non-Dalit writers, scholars and activists.
When NCERT's Class XI Political Science textbook, Indian Constitution at Work, came to the attention of some Dalit activists, they objected to the manner in which the Chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Constitution, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, had been depicted riding a snail representing the Constitution, with Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru wielding a whip behind him and an entire crowd smiling and watching the spectacle. Six weeks later, the issue was raised in Parliament and a chorus of MPs cutting across party lines sought the withdrawal of the cartoon, and some even of the NCERT textbooks. Many sections of the public had not been privy to the contents of the textbooks in the past six years. It is only now that these textbooks are being debated.
We, the undersigned, are dismayed by the two polarised sets of reactions that have emerged. Firstly, many members who were part of the textbook advisory committee for the senior secondary level, including Chairman of the committee Prof. Hari Vasudevan, and Chief Advisors Suhas Palshikar and Yogendra Yadav, have since protested against the demand for reconsidering the use of this insensitive cartoon. Subsequently, many members who have been part of various textbook development committees have argued that the textbooks should remain unchanged; and have been silent about the violence of the cartoons. This is a rather untenable position. We find it insulting when some intellectuals suggest that people protesting the cartoon fail to understand the “productive power of laughter” or that there's a “fear of cartoons”. The textbooks, however good they are and even if they mark a radical departure from past efforts, cannot be above criticism, discussion and improvement. This logic, in fact, goes against the stated aim of these textbooks: to engage sceptically and critically with what one reads. Indeed, each of the new NCERT textbooks solicits feedback, criticism and suggestions. The textbook writers may have tried their best to overcome their caste bias, but none of us is exempt from the baggage of caste, gender or other interests. As the feminist movement has so clearly shown, humour is by no means exempt from prejudice. Cartoons and jokes can be vicious about minorities. Hate speech often masquerades as humour. Jokes and cartoons need to be subjected to critical scrutiny.
Secondly, we do share the fear that in the name of handling the contentious cartoon on Dr. Ambedkar, the UPA government might attempt to remove many cartoons and other visual/textual material from the textbooks. Crucially, these textbooks feature several posters from the women's movement, the Dalit movement and the environmental movement. Also to be commended is the inclusion of a wide range of literary texts by Dalit writers. However, the textbook writers must realise that they have not done a favour to Dalits by such inclusion, which was long overdue. There's a lot that is good about these textbooks — a result of the pressures that the women's movement, the Dalit movement, environmental and farmers movements, anti-SEZ mobilisations exerted —that may be lost if the final say about what may or may not appear in a textbook is to be with the state.
These textbooks have been drafted collectively by a wide range of social scientists, including some academicians who happen to be Dalit, and in consultation with activists, NGO representatives and educationists working at the field level. However, it is not as if these textbooks are completely error-proof. Besides the offensive cartoon, the text in the Class XI textbook does not ever properly introduce Dr. Ambedkar. The text does not inform the students that a Drafting Committee chaired by Dr. Ambedkar drafted the Constitution. In the absence of a proper discussion of Dr. Ambedkar's role in the Constituent Assembly, the violence of the cartoon is all the more palpable. We urge the Thorat Committee to make the necessary changes in the text as well.
We wish to express dismay over the adamantine attitude of some of our academic friends who seem to treat the cartoon as sacrosanct. The implication that “dalit intellectuals have unwittingly played into the strategies of politicians” is indefensible to say the least. The lack of understanding expressed by the “intellectual classes” towards the Dalit viewpoint has been saddening. The Dalit question has always been historically deflected and postponed in this manner. When Dr. Ambedkar and the early Dalit movements raised the question of caste, the nationalist movement said the anti-colonial struggle was more important; when the issue of caste was raised in the feminist or Left movements, it was considered divisive; when Adivasis raised the question of representation in the leadership of dam evictees' movements, the stopping of the dam was made paramount.
We wish to bring to your attention that many Dalit activists and scholars, including some young Dalit students in the University of Pune, not only condemned the act of vandalism at the office of Prof. Palshikar, but even guarded his office from further attacks. This went unreported in the media.
We are also deeply saddened that because of this one aberrant act, the otherwise democratic and rational engagement with this issue that Dalits and some non-Dalit intellectuals opposed to the cartoon have engaged in — through news media, blogs, Facebook, and the Internet — has been portrayed as emotional and infantile. The Dalit movement has been one of the most democratic movements in this country. And for Dalits a whip is a vulgar reminder of everything feudal and casteist about this society. As the dalitbahujan feminist blog Savari says: “The whip is inseparable from violence against slaves, dalits, women, animals and children. Almost all histories of protest against injustice, be it feminism, anti-slavery, anti-caste or anti-apartheid movements have protested and continue to protest the symbolic violence in imagery that uses instruments of violence such as the whip, noose or chains.” That the advocates of critical pedagogy do not see this as such is regrettable.
It is time we realised that there is a permeable boundary between the symbolic violence of such a cartoon and the tolerance of such cartoons by academics on the one hand, and atrocities like Bathani Tola, Melavalavu, Chunduru or Khairlanji on the other. Quite often the iconicity of Dr. Ambedkar has been used by Dalits to assert their democratic rights. And the struggle against the cartoon is indeed a democratic struggle — even if the mainstream and alternative media have portrayed it as otherwise.
At this stage, we petition the Thorat Committee set up to examine the textbooks to reconsider the Ambedkar cartoon (and possibly other such insensitive material). While we demand that the NCERT take into account the wide range of criticisms and feedback the textbooks have elicited, we also urge Kapil Sibal, the Union HRD Minister, to desist from seeking any major overhaul of the basic NCF framework of the textbooks.
We also think this is the occasion to seek fair representation of Dalits and other social minorities in NCERT's various committees, as well as in the Senates and Syndicates of Central and State Universities; and to introspect on why Dalits and Adivasis, despite constitutional provisions for 22.5 per cent reservation, occupy less than three per cent of faculty positions .
Omprakash Valmiki, Namdeo Dhasal, Bama, Siddalingaiah, Urmila Pawar, G. Kalyan Rao, Imayam, Ravikumar, K. Satyanarayana, Susie Tharu, S. Anand, M.R. Renukumar, Rekha Raj, Ajay Navaria, Rajni Tilak, Gogu Shyamala, P. Sivakami, Paul Divakar, Sharmila Rege, Raj Kumar, N. Sukumar, Sanal Mohan, Ajay Skaria, Radhika Menon, Meena Kandasamy, V. Geetha, S. Japhet, Uma Chakravarti and Bharat Patankar.
Keywords: cartoon issue, NCERT book, Ambedkar, Nehru
I found this article rather opinionated. Certainly, the government and
the so-called intellectuals must pay their heed to all people of the
community but I do understand why they have to be treated as "Dalits"
or any other social sect separately. We're all Indian. Why not make
that our common ground of speech?
As for the petition, I am against any kind of scrutiny or censorship
over any kind of material that is not actually detrimental to
someone's well being. Something that sparks a debate and makes people
think is actually good. It makes us intelligent people and makes sure
that we do not live like sheep. I believe there should be no
censorship on cartoons for the very same reason.
What should be done is to possibly introduce such context to students
at an age where they would be capable of such free and radical
thinking. But it must all be present nonetheless.
In previous fifty years the socio-political-intellectual discourse was controlled by Nehruite and Gannghian 'socialites' and there was no scope-space for views/expression of depressed class. Dr. Ambedkar had give a clarion call of 'Educate, Agitate, Organise' to all proletarians. Now these proletarians are getting intellect and demand a equal share in every spheres,society, politics and academia.
They want the committee to rewrite the text which is beyond its mandate.The govt. has decided that cartoons will no longer be allowed in the text books.They don't even seem to know that.The petition mentions many issues that are either beyond the purview of the terms of reference of the committee or are about which the committee need not be bothered at all. Why should the committee bother about the debates that have nothing to do with its task or in which it is not involved. This is a badly drafted petition high on rhetoric low on substance, for example, 'It is time we realised that there is a permeable boundary between the symbolic violence of such a cartoon and the tolerance of such cartoons by academics on the one hand, and atrocities like Bathani Tola, Melavalavu, Chunduru or Khairlanji on the other.' The petitioners argue that anyone who disagrees with them on this issue are supporters/perpetrators of such violence against dalits.This is plain nonsense.
Why is Dr B.R Ambedkar thought of as a Dalit Icon before being thought of as a Chairperson of the Constitution drafting committee. As a chairperson of the Constitution drafting committee, the drafting of the Constitution was his responsibility and when the entire process was progressing at a snail's pace, it was all but natural for a cartoonist like Shankar Pillai to depict it in his cartoons. Was it the first time that a leader was made fun of in a cartoon. When Dr Ambedkar did not find anything offensive in the cartoon, why after so many years all of a sudden everyone is creating a fuss. Are they not insulting Dr Ambedkar in this way?? And for God's sake Nehru is seen whipping the snail and not Dr Ambedkar. Why do you want to put your prejudice in reading the cartoons on other. Leave the cartoons to the readers perception.....
this is not a simple thing so that every one will be silent rather this issue must be taken into account because this cartoon has been published in premiere book in india as NCERT and if this book will contain such a thing than definitely any one can be embarrassed as Dr. Ambedkar is such a great pioneer of constitution of india ant his humiliation is not fair.
Do the authors mean to convey that any cartoon which happens to have a Dalit public figure in it is necessarily casteist? It is this kind of thinking which is divisive. Dalits cannot come to the mainstream unless they shed their casteist thinking.
We wont be able to make a society based on one theme and that is humanity,If such kind of things will exaggerate in this manner.It is simply like making the wound new and afresh.So just grow up.....
Ambedkar was given a slow moving snail instead of a racing horse by the government. Actually the snail represents other members of the Constitution drafting committee viz., K.M.Munshi, Alladi Krishnasway Iyer, N.Gopalaswami Iyengar,B.L.Mitter, Md.Sadulla, and D.P.Khaitan.The snail represents these members and Ambedkar whips these members. The fault was with Jawaharlal Nehru. He should have provided a galloping horse instead of a slow moving snail.
Why the works of Paula Richman's 'Many Ramayanas' and A.K Ramanujan's ' Three hundred Ramayanas ' were banned in Delhi University curriculum? The media and most of the newspapers were silent about this. Here also the professors were assaulted and University was forced to take a decision to remove these books from their syllabus.
One must understand that the cartoon is criticizing the way the drafting committee went ahead framing the constitution, its not identifying anybody as a dalit or discriminating any body on any grounds. Dr. Ambedkar happened to be the chairman so he was representing the drafting committee in the cartoon, had it been anybody he would have also received the same criticism. By banning/ removing it it sends a wrong message and forcibly mutes the voice of the nation.
It is unimaginable that the parliamentarians,academicians and other important components of our society have taken it upon themselves to make an issue out of a relative non-issue.If anyone should feel offended,it should be the citizens of this country,regardless of their identity,over this hullabaloo about cartoons in school textbooks.Even if the learners had not perceived the cartoons in a demeaning, derogatory and abusive sense until now,they will now,given the whole fuss around them.Doesn't inaction,corruption,fecklessness make the 'offended' parliamentarians look bad?Why are they hellbent on aggravating the divisiveness in our society?
After studying the cartoon carefully , I have come to realise that the cartoon is offensive on further counts: Ambedkar is riding a snail and whipping it, that is cruelty against animals; the crowd does not seem to have any Muslims, atleast not in front row, that is marginalisation of muslim community ; A Khadhar clad Nehru is whipping Ambedkar clad in western clothes , that is biased, isn't it. what else? come on people, if you want to see ghosts everywhere you will. Please don't loose sight of the goal set by Ambedkar, it is to bring the Dalits into and on par with the mainstream and other castes not to carve a separate Dalit class and divide the society further.
No true Indian will ever forget or respect the father of our Constitutioon. So the father of nation. Any number of books have been published discussing his ideals ,criticised ,ridiculed.Many movies have been produced depicting different facets of his life. But , at no time , any one of the authors, movie producers or any political leaders meant to insult the Mahatma. Why this special feeling in this case.Opposition have called MMS incompetent ( Mr.Gadkari has gone even further) and the Congress throws equally spiteful comments. Let not the public move their emotions . Great people ,like Dr.Ambedkar have made historic observations. Let us sincerely follow them and respect them, please.
The cartoon is seen out of context, it was just criticizing the time taken to draft the constitution and it no way was casteist in its context.Dr. Ambedkar was indeed heading the drafting committee and people were eagerly waiting for the constitution to come.People are trying to read more in to a cartoon then that was actually being depicted.Wasting so much of time in criticism can be utilized in discussing actual and more urgent issues that surrounds the dalit populace. After every criticism from any unhappy population cartoons are removed , I hope more cartoons are made to put across the viewpoint.
Dr.B.R.Ambedkar was the only one who has done the entire job (Making Indian Constitution) though there were four more in the same committee. No helping hand was given by anybody else like others were enjoying. I totally agree the points mentioned here.It is the media which gives too much importance and exposure for non-issues. But Dalits' voice not reported or showed with the same vigour and enthusiasm. Suppose if the cartoon is other way around will the so called experts of NCERT will accept it. Still the forward community people dominate and suppress and twist the history and reality. If few dalits are against the majority dalit view then the few people will get more coverage in the media. Let the media work with ethics and honest/conscience.
A well written and well meaning petition. I congratulate and thank all the activists, dalits and non-dalits alike, who have come forward and >supported this cause. A whip is certainly a derogatory symbol for anyone and if it affronts 25% population of India why should there be a problem or even an opposition to it.
Problems of these nature could have been avoided if all such material used in drafting syllabus are made available for public scrutiny before they get published. Indications on discreet types of violence, ethics and sensibility are still recognisable by ordinary people. The mere fact that the entire material would be made available to general public online would itself be a great pressure on any such expert committee which is constituted for such purposes, forcing them to refrain from committing any misadventures. Socially oppressed communities are vastly different from power-yielding religious communities, and people will necessarily be able to distinguish between instances of humour and humiliation.
Please fight for the real issues surrounding dalits. More than 80% of rural population are not aware of the true meaning of the constitution, of which most are dalits. why don't you fight for creating such awareness instead of portraying something in textbook as wrong. Please fight for real cause, I just cant see how removing cartoon solve the problems mentioned in your petition (I mean atrocities and hardships faced by dalits). Please try to see the cartoon as cartoon and not as god.
6.Dr.Ambedkar might not have been referred to in detail. But, authors should be look at how a child would learn. He/she doesn’t directly reach class XI to read this text. I have read a text (Class 6, I believe) by NCERT where they mention a story about, Dr.Ambedkar as a child, being discriminated against by a stationmaster and a cart man. 7.Any item that is used to signify Nehru being impatient with the drafting committee can be made out to be offensive. If you are looking to make something offensive out of a work of creativity, the sheer tonnage of material you can come up with will baffle anyone. 8.If you can take a sample of students who ultimately read this textbook, I doubt if you will have many who would identify Dr.Ambedkar as leader of a section of people. If you ask me, the image I have about him is that of a towering intellectual who studied in Columbia and LSE in spite of a humble and tough background and eventually went on to be the 'Father of Indian Constitution'. I do not think Americans would refer to Thomas Jefferson as a planter from Virginia.
1.All those screaming blood are reading too much into the cartoon. I had seen this cartoon before this controversy and caste Hindu-vs-Dalit did not strike me. 2.Banning it now is a political ploy and even if it the deceit is spread across the spectrum, those who wrote the article should not become tools in the hands of manipulating politicians. 3.They say textbooks must not be above criticism and should be open to change. When have those who were part of the team which drafted the textbook said they would not accept any change? 4.Authors have rightly mentioned the problem with allowing government to get away with this. Where do you draw the line? Why shouldn't government censor other materials that can be construed to be offensive to one section of Indian population or other? 5.Textbook authors have never claimed that they are doing dalits ( or any group) any favour. If they do, they insult the spirit of what they have written in these textbooks.
its a disappointment to read such finely crafted but lacking intellectual honesty articles.we live in a liberal democratic set up.its not advisable to continue making humor out of upper caste leaders while leaving backward castes touched.otherwise what we do is replace one set sacrosanct leaders with others.sensitivities can be hurt by a variety of causes,and they need not necessarily be justifiable.hence hindu organisations may find objectionable any thing remotely depicting any of their deities in a less than adulatory manner,or so many other denominations ,each having their own heroes may think they are being denigrated at the slightest pretense.india has taken many steps towards amelioration of the conditions of these sections,let a liberal and tolerant discourse not become a casualty of too much identity sensitivity..
I agree with the point of the writer, any depiction of violence in the name of humor must be discouraged from the text books. Let us not alone address the issue in the present here, be it violence on women or any other weaker person or even the animals must not be depicted. I would be completely okay if in the cartoon there is any verbal satire in the cartoon but not the violence.
The manner in which the issue is being treated is a cause of concern. It is indeed the the historic baggage that certain classes are carrying around. The cartoon was meant to highlight the speed at which the constitution was drafted and was not a reflection on the character of any person. Even if it were a reflection on the character, every political figure should rightly be subject to so. I would second the point that Ambedkar was a national figure and the reason he was given the responsibility of drafting the constitution was certainly not on account of his being a dalit leader but his merit as a national leader.
Well written memo. My sincere thanks to the team.
This sounds much like the religious fundamentalists arguing against a cartoon ridiculing religion. 1. A cartoon depicting a historical event, presented to school students need not be viewed from your stereotypical view point. And you needn't paint a casteist picture on every canvas that includes a dalit. 2. Ambedkar, the father of our constitution was once a live political figure, and was depicted in a cartoon. I can imagine the activists of tomorrow getting overzealous about a cartoon of dalit leaders today(no names to avoid a political debate, but), just made on account of their political stupidity and not on caste lines. 3. Your choosing of a symbol, your respect for a person is no way a privilege to demand respect from the general population that includes people other than you. It's just your narrow mindedness that floats throughout the article. Sorry. I am not sure if it's the years of activism and social service or pride and prejudice that's doing the talking.
Agreed on all the points but there are few points to ponder. 23 Ranvir Sena men who butchered 21 dalits in Bathani Tola were acquitted,in Karamchedu (Andhra Pradesh) case the High Court of Andhra Pradesh acquitted all the 50 accused then after 23 long years Supreme court awarded life imprisonment to one accused and 30 others were given varying amounts of punishment upto three years. In Khairlanji (Maharashtra) the special district court awarded death to six and life imprisonment to two,35 culprits were discharged also the court took away the very ground for harsher punishment by observing that there was no conspiracy, no sexual violence, and no caste angle.The long legal battle, which no ordinary dalit can afford, effectively takes away any justice from the final judgment.The conviction rate in such atrocity cases is just 3% to 8%. Are these not the issues where Dalits should concentrate and agitate? As a Dalit we don't need to prove Ambedkar's greatness we need to follow his teachings.
I request Dalit activist to first shed the huge historic baggage they are carrying on their backs. Unless you shed it, there cannot be true freedom. It is this baggage that makes you see violence in a cartoon simply because it features a 'whip'. If the cartoon were published in a 5th class textbook, it could send wrong ideas into tender minds. But it is prescribed for class 11 students who are mature enough to critically evaluate the meaning and the intent of the cartoon.
The petition is illuminating, to our otherwise insensitive advocacy of the Ambedkar cartoon. Humour may just reflect our inner prejudice. But regarding role of Ambedkar for drafting the constitution, according to Dr. Palshikar has been dealt with in the Class 10 th textbook and so has not been repeated is to be taken into account.
The inclusion of sensitive text, pictures, and illustrations in the school textbooks must be highly scrutinized for since textbooks are the primary source of knowledge for most school children. Inclusion of the sensitive cartoon on Dr. Ambedkar is really outrageous. Even after 65 years of independence, 56 years of Dr. Ambedkar's demise, the caste bias and prejudices on Dalits thrives. Thanks to many dalit and non-dalit activists who relentlessly fight to protect the rights of Dalits in India.
This is absolutely a great move giving a written petition. This way government and other liberal fellow upper caste academicians will understand the power of dalits. Its long gone when given use to be taken by dalits, we no more are the mute spectator. Plz do sigh the petition folks..
I would like to remind the citizens of India that Mr. Ambedkar doesn't belong one community or another. He is the father of our constitution and hence, every citizen of India has the right to create humor. The arguments put forth can also be construed as creating bifurcation (do we need more?!). We are already paying the price of the debate with our politicians using each and every thing advantage to their benefit, to 'domesticate' the populace - With Mr.Sibal saying that comments on Ms.Gandhi as blasphemous and Ms. Banerjee arresting Professors, for a harmless cartoon... I would agree that the contentious cartoon as a hate-speech in disguise if it had had contents like some characters are depicted in a demeaning/humiliating way. I could see nothing of the kind here - Our constitution and Judiciary are still snails, too bad we neither have Ambedkar nor Nehru to make them hustle... Finally, you can only develop a person/community by teaching/making them fish not by giving them one....
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