Textbook row: Protest march in Chikkamagaluru

The participants marched from S.Koplu to Nidaghatta in Kadur taluk

Seers, writers, and others who joined the march from S.Koplu to Nidaghatta in Kadur taluk of Chikkamagaluru on Friday and voiced their opinio over the textbook issue. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Writers, intellectuals and activists took out a 14-km march in Chikkamagaluru district opposing the textbooks revised by the committee headed by Rohith Chakrathirtha. They marched from S.Koplu in Kadur taluk to Nidaghatta.

Panditaradhya Swamiji of Sanehalli Mutt, who inaugurated the march, took exception to the State Government for retaining the textbooks, even after admitting to the mistakes in it. “The government has accepted to correct the mistakes in the books, but refused to withdraw them. It has become a trend to insult those who point fingers at the government”, he lamented.

The protesters reached Nidaghatta via Devanur, the birthplace of Lakshmeesha, a 16^th century Kannada poet. Along the march, the participants took serious objections to the State Government for appointing a committee under Rohith Chakrathirtha to review the textbooks. The entire process of revision was undemocratic and opaque. The committee insulted Dr.B.R.Ambedkar, the architect of Indian constitution, Basavanna and others in the textbooks, they said and urged the government to continue the texts, revised by the previous committee headed by Baragur Ramachandrappa.

Ravish Basappa of Kyatanabeedu Trust, writer S.G.Siddaramaiah, educationist Sripad Bhat, B.Chandre Gowda and others participated in the march.