textbook controversy
A protest march, condemning the revision of school textbooks by a committee headed by Rohith Chakrathirtha, began at Kavishaila, a memorial of poet Kuvempu at Kuppalli in Thirthahalli taluk of Shivamogga district in Karnataka, on June 15 morning. About 200 people, led by former Education Minister Kimmane Rathnakar, participated in the march from Kuppalli to Thirthahalli.
Noted lyricist and music director Hamsalekha flagged off the march. “People of Karnataka would not tolerate insult to icons of the land — Basavanna and Kuvempu, among others. The protest would send a strong message to those insulted Kannada language and the flag,” he told the participants.
Writer S.G. Siddaramaiah, columnist B. Chandre Gowda, Sringeri MLA T.D. Raje Gowda, journalist Dinesh Amin Mattu and many others participated in the march.
The protesters were demanding withdrawal of textbooks revised by the committee. They want the government to continue with the books recommended by the previous committee headed by Prof. Baragur Ramachandrappa.
Mr. Rathnakar, who led the march, called it a non-political protest, involving writers, intellectuals and politicians irrespective of their political affiliations. The protest is against saffronisation and Brahminisation of school textbooks. The committee had insulted social reformers and great writers of the land in the name of revising their texts.
Many local residents joined the protesters and raised slogans demanding withdrawal of the revised textbooks.
A couple of hundred people walked the entire 18-km distance from Kavishaila at Kuppali to Thirthahalli. The protestors have reached Thirthahalli.
KPCC president D.K. ShivaKumar, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Siddaramaiah, Leader of Opposition in the Council B.K. Hariprasad and others were expected to take part in the valedictory of the march later in the day at Thirthahalli.
