As we are not in a position to contact all the signatories, we respond briefly to some specific issues. We want to reiterate that our petition is based on facts.
The Ambedkar cartoon is very much under the purview of the Professor Thorat committee. If it was not, the members who submitted the petition to the committee would have been told that when they met the chairman.
It is a cheap trick to equate us to “the right-wing Hindu educational machine” while describing us as “some of our best scholars.” Such accusations and branding are not going to cow us into withdrawing our complaint against the cartoon. We stand by what we stated in the petition.
The representation of Ambedkar is an important issue for us. You ridicule our commitment to Ambedkar and accuse us of “over obsession with the cartoon” and of “[g]etting fixated on one cartoon in one textbook.”
We have asked the committee to examine “possibly other such insensitive material.” This shows our commitment to and regard for a democratic process and sensitivity to the social fabric of our country. We cannot take up the role of the Textbooks Review Committee and identify all the material that is insensitive as Apoorvanand is suggesting that we should do.
Apoorvanand twists a sentence in the petition to accuse us of saying that the attack on Professor Palshikar's office was used to “divert attention from the atrocity of the Shankar cartoon.” We have not said this. We brought to the notice of the Thorat committee that a large section of Dalit scholars including students condemned the attack on Prof. Palshikar's office.
The commentary on Ambedkar cartoon is unwarranted. Neither of the depicted in their life time have objected, now any person making a comment on fifty year old toon is not sufficiently well educated to laugh at the caricature, aided and abetted by the education minister kapil sibal well playing to the gallery without even thinking for a minute for a review of the NCERT text books. Sda state of affairs indeed!
[It is a cheap trick to equate us to “the right-wing Hindu educational
machine”... Such accusations and branding are not going to cow us into
withdrawing our complaint against the cartoon. We stand by what we
stated in the petition.]
When we see a bird that walks like a Duck and swims like a Duck and
quacks like a Duck, we call that bird a DUCK.
I just wish the petitioners had just once said : though we think the cartoon could be seen offensive, we do not agree with the manner in which it has been removed, we realise that many non dalit and dalit scholars might not hold the same view , we demand a proper discussion and debate through a due process.
@K. Satyanarayana and Anoop Kumar :
I would only like to say that instead of showing such a high degree of commitment to Dr Ambedkar only, why don't you show the same commitment
to the country? The children in schools are the sufferers here.
Depriving them of all these tools to learn and debate and come to
their own conclusion is what would happen by removing not only this
cartoon but any other. Yes, changes may be required in the textbooks
themselves in order for the students to gain a wider perspective and
be allowed some rational thought. But like I said, articles would have
be added, not removed! Censorship of any sort is stupid and really
does not help. Everybody has the right to form their own opinion and
conclusion. All knowledge must simply be made available to them.
Why can't THAT be the premise for your petitioning and/or campaigning
and whatnot?
I am happy that The Hindu is planning to put an end to this 'debate' -
better late than never! Having read all those pieces and noted the
various debating points, I find that none of these puritanical experts
on social probity, morality and responsibility, and the custodians and
watchdogs of culture and sensitivity have convincingly explained why
they were all quiet all these years, when the cartoon was doing the
rounds in that text book. This is despite many ordinary people like me
having raised this point in various fora they have access to and a
voice, including the 'letters' section of The Hindu.
It is extremely distressing to see how-much intellectual fire powers has been wasted on cartoon-row in last few weeks. Given the scale of oppression and real violence against Dalits in India, it is sad that Dalit intellectuals are focusing their energy on a matter that is virtually a non-issue for large section of Dalits.
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