Mysuru: Writers want their works dropped from textbooks

Mysuru: Progressive thinker and writer Devanura Mahadeva on Wednesday said that the government should instruct the education department to drop one of his articles from textbook. Mahadeva was reacting to State Education Minister B C Nagesh's statement that the textbooks already were printed and now it's impossible to remove them.

Mahadeva said, "If the textbooks were printed already, the government can issue an order to drop my work." The writer is angry with State government for 'saffronising' textbooks by the Textbooks Revision Committee, headed by writer Rohith

Chakrateertha. Two days back Mahadeva had written a letter to the government taking back the permission he had given earlier to use his lesson in the textbooks.

"There is a controversy regarding textbook revision. It is said that one of my articles is being used as a text for 10th standard Kannada subject. The PDF on inclusions and deletions are being changed every minute. I am happier if my write-up is not being used in the textbook. If it is included, it will not have my consent," he had stated.

Mahadeva had also stated that he was withdrawing the permission given for publication earlier. "Those who have dropped the lessons authored by L. Basavaraju, A.N. Murthy Rao, P. Lankesh and Sara Aboobkar do not know the culture of Karnataka," he maintained.

Rohith Chakrathirtha, maintains that he does not know the caste of writers. "In a complex country like India, if caste is not identified consciously, naturally 90 per cent of people belonging to the same caste would find shelter. It is similar to liking the smell of one's own kitchen," he stated ironically.

Thinker Ramakrishna has stated that he will not give permission for publication of his work in the textbook. "The revision exercise of textbooks is going on a dangerous path. It is not pardonable that education is being used as a tool for politicking," he said.