Karnataka govt picks experts, gets down to ‘de-saffronising’ textbooks

This was what a Class 8 textbook in Karnataka, revised by the previous BJP government, taught students. It was part of a chapter called ‘Kalavannu Geddavaru’ (Those Who Triumphed Over Time).

This addition by the BJP regime testified to allegation by educationists that a revised committee of textbooks headed by Hindutva activist Rohit Chakratirtha took the liberty to ‘saffronise’ education in Karnataka.

This was allegedly done on the direction of the Sangh Parivar, which was said to be steering the Basavaraj Bommai government that got ousted in elections in May this year.

The Congress, which had promised to “de-saffronise” education in Karnataka once it comes to power, however, now under the Siddaramaiah government has begun taking initiatives to fulfil it. While it was too late for the newly-elected (in May) government to completely change the textbooks for the current academic session, it plans a complete overhaul of the textbooks for the next academic session. The government has already formed several committees which will work on the revision of the textbooks.

Hindutva revisions

The revision of textbooks drew widespread criticism for alleged ideological bias and distortion of historical facts. Noted linguist and intellectual GN Devi observed: “The controversy surrounding textbook revision is an indication that the state has started on a regressive journey.”

Revisions were made in social sciences textbooks from Class 6 to 10 and Kannada language textbooks from Class 1 to 10. Texts related to historical figures including Tipu Sultan and poet Kuvempu were altered. Critics argued that the revisions distorted the original content and Karnataka’s spirit had been tarnished.

Minister for Primary and Secondary Education Madhu Bangarappa said the committee set up by the BJP government twisted history intentionally to supplement its Hindutva agenda.

According to him, a chapter on Bhagat Singh was dropped and content on spiritual leader and social reformer Narayana Guru was cut to a single paragraph. The chapter on Basavanna, Kanakadasa and others faced a similar situation. But the BJP succumbed to pressure from seers of Lingayat and Kuruba mutts and restored the chapter on Basavanna and Kanakadasa.

The Congress promised to undo the alterations made by the BJP government and ensured a fair and comprehensive representation of historical events and personalities in school textbooks.

When the Congress came to power in May, it decided to “de-saffronise” education and the cultural sector as cultural academies and educational institutions were occupied with Hindutva votaries.

New efforts

But there was no time to undertake all this to meet the needs of students for the current academic year.

However, state education minster Bangarappa revised content of the textbooks with some omissions and additions under the guidance of renowned scholar Baraguru Ramachandrappa.

He has promised to overhaul the textbooks and print them before the next academic year. The Congress government has set up five committees comprising of 37 members and led by Prof. MG Hegde, a retired professor at the Rani Channamma University in Belagavi. Separate committees have been formed to revise various Kannada textbooks and books.

According to an official in the Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL), revision of textbooks is a short-term exercise to make corrections. The committees will submit a report by December-end.

According to guidelines prescribed for the revising panel, the revision has to be done as per the guidelines of the National Curriculum Framework (NCFW) 2005 and not the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCFSE) 2023, which is now in force.

Siddaramaiah acts

“We could have developed a State Curriculum Framework on the lines of the proposed Karnataka State Education Policy (KSEP) before initiating the process of revising textbooks,” says educationist Niranjana Aradhya.

A week ago, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah promised to formulate guidelines by next week for a KSEP. Minister for Higher Education MC Sudhakar has been urged to finalise a list of experts for this purpose.