The story so far: The Karnataka textbook revision committee, headed by Rohith Chakrathirtha, has included a speech by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) founder K.B. Hedgewar in the Class 10 Kannada (first language State syllabus) textbook. Works by several authors associated with the progressive stream in Kannada literature have been left out. As a mark of protest, many writers have written to the BJP government withdrawing permission to use their works in textbooks. In another development, seers associated with the Veerashiva-Lingayat and Vokkaliga castes, two powerful communities of Karnataka, have raised objections to some comments of Mr. Chakrathirtha.
What is the genesis of the controversy?
When COVID-19 struck two years ago, to manage the burden of a heavy syllabus in a truncated academic year, the government reduced 30% of the syllabus for all classes. In the process, lessons on Tipu Sultan, Sangolli Rayanna, Rani Chennamma and a few other historical figures were excluded for that year from the social science syllabus of Class 6 to Class 8.
