Siddaramaiah urges CM Bommai to stop printing textbooks with RSS founder Hedgewar's speech
Bengaluru, May 18: Following the controversy over inclusion of RSS founder Keshav Baliram Hedgewar's speech in school textbooks, senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah on Wednesday urged Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to immediately stop the printing of the textbooks and to take decision in this regard after discussions with intellectuals and educational experts.
According to official sources, the speech by Hedgewar was included as chapter in the revised Kannada textbook for students of class X.
"If the media reports are true about the revised curriculum, then the issue is very serious. In order to avoid speculation and conflicts about the issue, @CMofKarnataka @BSBommai should give clarifications," Siddaramaiah tweeted.
He said when there are many renowned authors, writers, intellectuals and education experts in Karnataka, the BJP government in the State has chosen to insult the people there by delegating the work to an inexperienced youth from RSS.
"The government should withdraw the draft submitted by the current textbook revision committee and dissolve the committee. Appoint a new committee comprising education experts, intellectuals and eminent writers of Kannada," he added.
The Karnataka Textbook Society has said a committee headed by Rohith Chakrathirtha was constituted to examine social science and language textbooks and to revise them, and it has revised social science textbooks from classes 6 to 10 and Kannada language textbooks from classes 1 to 10.
Alleging that BJP has already destroyed the sanctity of the religion for political reasons, Siddaramaiah said, "Now, they are trying to politicise learning space to spoil the minds of innocent children for political gains. This is unfortunate and people should oppose this."
"Let BJP use Hedgewar, Golwalkar and Godse in their political rallies and ask votes by showing their portraits. People will evaluate what is right or wrong, and decide. But do not politicise education for selfish reasons," he added.
Primary and Secondary Education Minister B C Nagesh on Monday defended inclusion of a speech by Hedgewar in the Kannada textbook.
He had said the textbook does not contain anything about Hedgewar or RSS, but only his speech on what should be an inspiration to people, especially the youth, and added that those who have raised objections have not gone through the textbook.
Amid allegations in some quarters that a lesson on freedom fighter Bhagat Singh was omitted, the Textbook Society on Tuesday had clarified that the chapter has not been removed, and the Kannada textbook of Class 10 is currently at the printing stage.
I urge @CMofKarnataka @BSBommai to immediately stop the printing of revised textbooks, and to take the decision after discussions with intellectuals, education experts & writers.
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) May 18, 2022
BJP had already destroyed the sanctity of the religion for political reasons. Now they are trying to politicise learning space to spoil the minds of innocent Children for their political gains. This is unfortunate & people should oppose this.
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) May 18, 2022
Let BJP use Hegdewar, Golwalkar & Godse in their political rallies & ask votes by showing their portraits. People will evaluate what is right or wrong, and decide. But do not politicise education for selfish reasons.
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) May 18, 2022
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US VP JD Vance says Lebanon not part of ceasefire, calls it ‘misunderstanding’
Budapest/Washington: US Vice President J D Vance has said that Lebanon was never included in the ceasefire understanding with Iran, describing the confusion as a “legitimate misunderstanding”.
Speaking to reporters before departing from Hungary, Vance said, “I think the Iranians thought that the ceasefire included Lebanon and it just didn’t. We never made that promise.”
He stressed that the United States had not included Lebanon in the scope of the ceasefire at any stage.
His remarks come amid continued Israeli strikes in Lebanon, where more than 200 people were reported killed, even as ceasefire talks between Iran and the US move forward.
Vance said Israel had “offered … to check themselves a little bit in Lebanon because they want to make sure that our negotiation is successful”.
He warned that if Iran allows the situation in Lebanon to affect the negotiations, it could derail the talks.
“If Iran wants to let this negotiation fall apart in a conflict where they were getting hammered over Lebanon, which has nothing to do with them and which the United States never once said was part of the ceasefire, that’s ultimately their choice,” he said.
