Fresh controversy has erupted in Karnataka over charges of “rewriting history” by the BJP-led government as the textbook revision committee has reportedly inserted a section on Vinayak Damodar Savarakar in the revised high school curriculum in the state.
The class eight Kannada textbook has inserted a section that reads, “Mr Vinayak Savarkar used to sit on the wings of a bird and fly out to visit the homeland while he was imprisoned in the Andaman jail.” A passage in the new revised textbook reads, “There was not even a keyhole in the cell where Savarkar was incarcerated. But, Bulbul birds used to visit the room, and Savarkar used to sit on their wings and fly out and visit the motherland every day.”
Accusing the BJP of trying to “change” history, Karnataka Congress chief D.K. Shivakumar said, “Karnataka Government is trying to change the history of Indian Politics.
Mahatama Gandhi ji led the Indian freedom struggle, it is only he who could be called a true Mahatma. Incumbent government have changed National Educational Policy (NEP) to Nagpur Educational Policy! This is a brainless Government. We will scrap the National Educational Policy when we come to power in next Legislative elections. They want to change the history filled with their personal agenda,” claimed Shivakumar.
Saleem Ahmad, Working President of KPCC, said, “They try and bring new things. They have removed Tipu Sultan name from the textbooks and other freedom fighters. They are trying to create confusion in the minds of students, it is most unfortunate. This is not governments job and rather they should focus on fighting corruption , maintaining law and order and price rise, instead of polarising and divide society on Communal lines.”
The controversy came amid a row over the comments by the Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly and senior Congress leader’s comments on the ongoing Savarkar poster row in Shivamogga, which saw clashes on Independence Day on 15 August.Karnataka Police on 15 August imposed Section 144 in parts of Shivamogga district after a clash over Savarkar and Tipu Sultan’s banners on Independence Day.
Meanwhile, just days after being inducted into the BJP’s Parliamentary Board and Central Election Committee, former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa had last week launched a Savarkar Rath yatra in Mysore.