AIDSO demands dropping of changes in textbooks

Mangaluru: The All India Democratic Students Organisation (AIDSO) has seen another plot by the government of Karnataka to bring in changes in the Pre-university textbooks too.

The AIDSO Karnataka State Committee has declared June 6 as "State Level Demands Day," with two main demands that include: The previous syllables should be carried over to the current year; and the revision of the second PU textbook must be abandoned right away.

The AIDSO activists have raised concerns and have cited the Chief Minister's letter stating that the changes would remain as per the recommendations of the State Textbook Revision Committee. "To begin with, we would want to say that the government's response is simply a result of the movement that has erupted across the State from various sections of society. If there are controversial points, the government is open to changing them. This signifies that the government has admitted that the textbook had errors," the activists have stated in a State-wide awareness campaign on Saturday in Bengaluru and Mangaluru.

However, irrespective of the Chief Minister's assurances, some pertinent questions remain unanswered: Will revision of contentious aspects be done? Which committee will be in charge of the revision? What will the youngsters have to study until the revision exercise is carried out? Which great man's history has been skewed, and will it be corrected?

On these concerns, the government has not taken a hard stance. There is no mention of the elimination of Savitribai Phule, Kanakadasa, or Purandaradasa, nor of the distortion of famous figures such as Kuvempu and Ambedkar. The administration has stated that a re-revision will be undertaken only for Basavanna, indicating that they have made another error.

The government is ensuring that students have no great values to look up to and is further distorting beliefs about great men. The student community and the people of Karnataka must be vigilant and ready to defend our country's noble heritage of resistance the campaign has urged.