AP to weed out Telangana from school syllabus?

The bitter fight between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh states has taken a cultural turn now. As the battle for sharing of resources like river water, power and even revenues take an ugly shape, both states are competing against each other to eliminate each other's history from their respective school syllabus.

In a Tit for Tat move, the Telangana government had authorized the TS State Council of Educational Research and Training (TSSCERT) to localize the curriculum to eliminate all aspects of Andhra culture and history from the text books. "We have received directions to focus on Telangana culture and traditions," said a spokesman of the TSSCERT.

The APSCERT plans to localize the school curriculum to Andhra culture, history and traditions, The exercise to reinvent AP only had been slack due to fund crunch, though in spirit the state government had accepted the suggestions of a panel of education experts. “The government has permitted all changes suggested by us in the curriculum to reflect AP traditions,” experts said.

Andhra Pradesh plans to introduce its pruned school curriculum and eliminating all aspects of Telangana from the 2016-17 academic year. However, minor but important changes related to the basics about the AP and its geography, political history and social activists will be added this year itself.

APSCERT director Lakshmi Watts, said a lot of changes will be made in the Telugu and social sciences, History syllabus. "Work will begin from the next month and new text books with changed lessons will be printed and all references to Telangana politicians, historical facts, traditions and culture. will be deleted.

The director rejected the contention of the Telangana that the text books in undivided state did not represent the spirit and culture of Telangana. "It is a false statement as former CM NTR had personally directed introduction of several facets of Telangana not only in textbooks, but also in administration and promoted cultural organistions,” a senior official said.

NTR perhaps at the behest of KCR, directed that festivals like Bathukamma and Bonalu were included in chapters on festivals of Andhra Pradesh and 3 chapters entirely related to Telangana in the Telugu. "These 4 chapters will now be axed, " say officials of APSCERT.