Protesting against the alleged ‘saffronisation' of textbooks for students in the State, hundreds of protesters, under the banner of 14 organisations, gheraoed the Department of State Educational Research and Training (DSERT) office here on Thursday.
Members of organisations such as the Students' Federation of India (SFI), National Students' Union of India (NSUI) and Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), picketed the office in Banashankari demanding the removal of certain sections of the textbooks that praised religious maths.
“This is the handiwork of the Sangh Parivar,” alleged Ananthnayak N., SFI State president. “Why else would they call the heads of maths who propagate ‘made snana' among other rituals as ‘leading spiritual lights of Karnataka',” he asked.
The protesters also lashed out at the “discriminatory” way in which local geography and history was covered in the texts. “While some districts are covered in more than three pages, Ramanagaram, Chitradurga and Davangere are given only three or four lines. It's obvious that those who authored the books have not researched properly on these districts,” said Mr. Ananthnayak.
They demanded that a committee be formed of Jnanpith recipients, scholars and experts to decide on the syllabus. “If our demands are not met, we will organise a Statewide bandh of school and colleges on February 28,” said Mr. Ananthnayak.
DSERT Director H.S. Ramarao accepted the petition, while G.S. Mudambadittaya, who heads the committee of experts that framed the new syllabus, assured the protesters of bringing in changes in the textbooks.
