Textbook politics: State Education Minister berates 'disruptive elements'

Bengaluru: In the melee over opposing a lesson on the founder of RashtriyaSwayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Dr KeshavBaliramHedgewar in the school curriculum, some elements have put outposts on the social media handles that have unduly dragged in Jnanapith award winner national laureate KV Puttappa. "This was in badtaste and I sense a deep-rooted and insidious political ploy to ravage the social order," said state education minister BC Nagesh.

He told that social media handles are being used by 'unscrupulous' elements to spread canards and lies, "in their sinister attempts they have insulted the great national laureate" Nagesh observed. In fact, we have not only retained all the contents in the lesson on KV Puttappa (Kuvempu) but also have added more in accordance with the textbook committee headed by a great thinker and writer of our times BaraguruRamachandrappa. But disruptive elements have unduly raked up a controversy in the matter. "It was a lowly kind of opposition" Nagesh said.

Opposition leader in the Karnataka state Assembly S Siddaramiah has also unequivocally reiterated the statement of BC Nagesh and has gone on record of warning those who are insulting Kuvempu.

Speaking in a Congress party meeting in Jayanagar on Monday MrSiddaramiah has said he still did not know how the textbook committee member Rohit Chakrathritha was appointed as the Chairman of the committee. 'Is it because he was from the RSS?'Siddarmaiahqueried.

The Muslim student body Campus Front of India held press conferences in all district headquarters in the state today and gave statements against RSS its leaders and the state government for including a lesson in the school curriculum on RSS founder Keshav BaliramHedgewar.

The CFI leader AthavullahPunjalkatte said all lessons about Hindu religious leaders should be removed from the textbooks as it amounts to saffronisation. He advocated that more educational content on Muslim, Dalit and Christian leaders must be included in the textbooks.