In Karnataka, several authors have resigned from the state government committee for revision of textbooks and not taking action against the chairman of the textbook review committee, Rohit Chakratirth. The authors have accused the Speaker of allegedly insulting the state anthem, Kuvempu. The protest against Rohit Chakratirth is likely to intensify now. On the issue of saffronisation of education, Rakshana Vedike along with the opposition, progressive students have opened a front against Chakratirth.
The opposition says that the Basavaraj Bommai government of Karnataka has decided to teach Class X students about RSS founder Keshav Baliram Hedgewar in schools. The opposition has accused the government of saffronising the state’s education. He says that while Hedgewar’s syllabus is being included on the one hand, Bhagat Singh and Mysore ruler Tipu Sultan are being removed from the syllabus books.
According to the news of The Wire, writers SG Siddaramaiah, HS Raghavendra Rao, Nataraja Budalu and Chandrashekhar Nangali wrote letters to Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai. Referring to the resignation, the letter said that the suppression of the education, culture and political landscape of the state and the recent unconstitutional attacks have left us worrying. The government’s silence and non-action on those who openly talk about communal hatred, ignoring the state and federal structure, have made them all frustrated and upset.
Senior author and scholar Hampa Nagarjaiah also resigned from the post of President of Rashtrakavi Kuvempu Pratishthan. On the other hand, renowned educationist VP Niranjanaradhya has turned down the state government’s invitation to honor him for his work on the National Education Policy-2020.
In response to the invitation, he wrote that the state government has communalized and saffronised education. No curriculum framework, constitutional values and education policy have been followed in the process. Kannada Sahitya Parishad president Mahesh Joshi has also demanded action against those who insult Kuvempu and the state anthem.