New Delhi: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-linked Shiksha Sanskriti Utthan Nyas (SSUN) has objected to Shaheed Sukhdev’s name being replaced by freedom fighter Qurban Hussain’s name in the famous troika of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev in eighth standard Marathi language textbooks in the schools of Maharashtra.
“Shaheed Sukhdev’s name has been replaced by Qurban Husain in the story of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev, who sacrificed their lives for the freedom of the country. This story features on Page Number 2 of Marathi language book for the 8th class which is published by Balbharati division of Maharashtra State Bureau of Textbook Production & Curriculum Research,” the SSUN said in a statement on 19 July.
The SSUN said Hussain’s contribution in the freedom struggle should be given proper recognition. But it is wrong to remove the name of a great revolutionary like Sukhdev from the story.
In a letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and the state education minister, SSUN national secretary Atul Kothari termed the portion a grave insult to Sukhdev’s sacrifice, demanding that it must be withdrawn immediately and action taken against the officers responsible for it.
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‘Being taught since BJP tenure’
However, the Maharashtra government has said that the book was brought in under the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in 2018.
“This disputed portion of the text is being taught since the time of the BJP government,” Maharashtra’s Minister of School Education Varsha Gaikwad told ThePrint Monday.
The text which is being debated is actually literary in nature and for any kind of change in the literature the government will have to seek consent from the author’s family, she said.
The Marathi language textbook in question, Pratigya, has been written by journalist Yadunath Thatte.
The minister added that everyone is keen on many kinds of changes in school syllabuses. However, the Centre’s New Education Policy is still stuck due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In these circumstances, there is no possibility of any immediate change in any subject or portion of the text.
‘Qurban Hussain was a great freedom fighter from Maharashtra’
Meanwhile, state publisher Balbharati’s director Vivek Gosavi said it’s beyond comprehension that something that has been taught for three years has suddenly become disputed.
“This replacement of names, which is being made controversial, is based on the text written by Yadunath Thatte in a book titled Pratigya. Thatte was a great journalist. His book has a chapter titled Majha Deshawar Mahe Prem Aahe (I love my country). In this chapter, he has tried to explain the concept of patriotism through an interaction between student and teacher. It has nothing to do with history,” Gosavi said.
He said language books contain poems and stories written by litterateurs and poets. Balbharati does not have any discretion to alter them. “For this we will have to seek consent from Thatte’s family,” he said.
He also clarified that in the eighth standard history book, Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev have been mentioned in the same way as always. “Qurban Hussain was a great freedom fighter from Maharashtra. He too was hanged by the British at a very young age,” said Gosavi.
Asked about raising objections on a textbook that has been taught for over three years, SSUN said this disputed text came to their notice only recently via social media posts.
“It does not matter that all this happened during the tenure of which government. These mistakes should be rectified whenever they are highlighted,” said SSUN activist Edward Mendhe.
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