America discovered by 'our Indian ancestors', not Columbus: MP Education minister
Bhopal, Sep 11: Madhya Pradesh's Higher Education Minister Inder Singh Parmar has claimed that America was discovered by "our Indian ancestors", and not by Christopher Columbus as taught to students.
He also claimed students have been taught "wrong history" that Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama discovered India.
Parmar was addressing the convocation function at the Barkatullah University in Bhopal on Tuesday.
In his address, the minister said, "Columbus discovered America...Indian students had nothing to do with this. If they had to be taught, they should have also been taught how people in the post-Columbus period tortured the natives and destroyed the tribal society there, because the society was worshipper of nature, worshipper of the Sun."
"(It should have been taught) how they were killed, how they were converted. But unfortunately, the correct facts were not taught," he said.
On the contrary, Indian students are taught that Columbus discovered America, Parmar said.
"I want to say that if someone had to write, they should have written that India's great hero Vasuloon went there in the eighth century and built many temples in Santiago in America. These facts are still written in a museum there. These facts are still kept in a library there," he said.
Parmar said the students should have been taught correctly that it was "our ancestors in India" who discovered America and not Christopher Columbus.
"When we (our ancestors) went there, we cooperated with the local culture of that place, the Mayan culture which was prevalent there, in their development. This is India's thought and philosophy which needed to be taught to the students," he added.
The minister also said students have been taught that Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama discovered India.
Historians could have taught the right history by studying the autobiography of Vasco da Gama, he said.
Vasco da Gama expressed the wish to see Bharat to Chandan, a Gujarati trader, at the Zanzibar port of Africa through an interpreter, the minister said.
Chandan told Vasco da Gama to follow his ship and thus the Portuguese explorer reached India, he said.
Vasco da Gama himself wrote that Indian trader Chandan's ship was much bigger than his, but students were taught wrong history that the Portuguese explorer discovered India, Parmar said.
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Kerala Assembly unanimously passes resolution against Centre delaying aid to Wayanad
Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 14: The Kerala Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution on Monday against the Central government's delay in extending aid to the landslide-hit Wayanad.
The substantive motion was presented by Parliamentary Affairs Minister M B Rajesh at the outset of an adjournment discussion in the House on the matter.
In the resolution, the minister said a memorandum had already been submitted to the Centre detailing the destruction suffered during the landslides that had affected Chooralmala, Mundakkai and Punchirimattom areas in Meppadi panchayat of Wayanad on July 30.
No immediate assistance has been received so far, and the delay in receiving Central aid would adversely impact the rehabilitation of landslide survivors, the minister pointed out.
The resolution demanded that the Centre take steps to provide immediate financial assistance and completely write off the bank loans of those affected by the landslides.
Noting that it was one of the worst landslide tragedies ever reported in the country, the minister said it had devastated an entire area in the hill district.
After the unprecedented tragedy, the state has approached the Centre seeking financial assistance for necessary rehabilitation initiatives, he said.
A similar request was made to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to the landslide-hit areas and in a personal letter, the minister explained.
As per the norms of the National Disaster Management Act, the landslide that occurred in Meppadi was classified as a 'disaster of severe nature,' he said.
"Many other states that have faced natural calamities have received assistance without even a memorandum. It is regrettable that Kerala did not receive this consideration," Rajesh said.
In the resolution, the minister pointed out that the National Disaster Management Authority has the authority to write off the loans of disaster survivors. To exercise this power, the Centre must make the necessary interventions, he added.
Later, Speaker A N Shamseer announced that the House unanimously passed the resolution.
Responding to the debate in the Assembly, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan expressed dismay over the delay in sanctioning Central assistance to the landslide-hit Wayanad, despite a detailed memorandum being submitted to the Union government in accordance with the necessary criteria.
Vijayan said that the disaster-hit areas had suffered damage amounting to Rs 1,200 crore across various sectors, according to the preliminary assessment.
A memorandum requesting additional assistance from the Centre for the State Disaster Relief Fund was submitted to the Union government and directly handed over to PM Modi on August 27, he said.
A detailed memorandum, prepared in accordance with Central criteria, had also been submitted on August 17, he added.
Even after the submission of the detailed memorandum, no special financial assistance, typically granted in the event of a disaster, has been provided to Wayanad so far, the chief minister said.
The state's special representative in New Delhi, K V Thomas, and the state disaster management secretary had held discussions with the Union Finance Minister and the Union Home Ministry, respectively.
Vijayan recalled that the state had previously faced unfortunate instances of not receiving adequate Central assistance during disasters.
He emphasised the importance of avoiding a repeat of such neglect in the case of Wayanad and added, "We still remain hopeful of receiving assistance from the Centre."
Leader of Opposition, V D Satheesan, termed the delay in providing Central assistance to Wayanad a "serious matter".
"It is a serious matter that no Central assistance has been received to date. What kind of neglect is the Centre showing? While assistance was given to other states, Kerala has not been granted even temporary relief," he said.
"When a calamity occurs, the Central government has an obligation to provide funds to the state to help the victims. The state government should also intensify its pressure on the Centre for that," he said.
When the LoP offered full support to the government in implementing the rehabilitation of landslide victims, the CM expressed happiness over the offer and said, "Let everyone work together for these hapless people."
The discussion saw the Union government coming under fire from both the treasury and opposition benches for not providing any financial assistance for the rehabilitation of landslide survivors in Wayanad, even months after PM Modi's visit.
While the UDF, which moved the motion, accused Modi of visiting the disaster-hit region for a "photo shoot," the LDF said that in a federal democratic system, it is the moral responsibility of the Central government to provide money for rehabilitation during the time of such a disaster.
Moving the adjournment motion, T Siddique (Congress) recalled that PM Modi had visited the landslide-hit hamlets of Wayanad, met the survivors, and called on the injured persons at the hospital.
The MLA said the PM had spent one and a half hours more than the scheduled time in Wayanad and assured during the high-level meeting that the Centre would be with the state in the rehabilitation initiatives.
"For the rehabilitation, we need at least Rs 2000 crore. Now, the landslide survivors ask whether PM Modi had visited Wayanad for a photo shoot," the legislator said.
Former Health Minister K K Shailaja stressed the need to launch united agitations inside and outside the House against the Centre's continuing neglect towards Wayanad.
