Karnataka private schools tells govt not to force them to buy textbooks

Karnataka: Textbook committee says include Sanatana Dharma

April 1, 2022

Omit aspects of Vedic period

The review committee constituted to look into aspects of the state board social science textbooks has recommended inclusion of Sanatana Dharma and omission of aspects that talk about the Vedic period.

The committee was constituted in September 2021 to analyse and recommend changes necessary in the social science textbooks from class VI-X.

Rohith Chakratirtha, author and member of the Kannada Development Authority said, “The decision is not taken against any community. When we studied the textbooks, we saw that students studied Christianity, Islam, Jainism and Buddhism in detail. The only religion, aspects of which were missing was that of Hindusim. Hence, we are now proposing that children read about Sanathana Dharma as well.”

Chakratirtha said that the recommendations have been placed before the government and it is upto the government to accept these. He also confirmed that the committee had recommended omission of aspects of the Vedic era, mentioned in the introductory part of chapter six of the class VIII social studies book.

The introduction talks about aspects such as performing Homas and Havana and animal sacrifice which resulted in consumption of excessive goods, resulting in food scarcity.

It may be recollected that the Karnataka State Brahmin Development Board had met former chief minister Yediyurappa in 2021 and sought those parts of the textbook which show Brahmins in negative light be omitted.

Among the other recommendations, the committee said that though children will study about Tipu Sultan, he must not be glorified and that dynasties from Northeast India must be included in the textbooks.