Times of India: Jaipur: Monday, May
16, 2016.
Activists of
the Majdoor Kishan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS) have shot a letter to the chief
secretary, C S Rajan, airing their objection to the fact that the movement in
Rajasthan that ultimately gave the country the Right to Information (RTI) Act
has been removed from the revised Class VIII social science textbook in the
state.
Letter reads:
The omission of RTI chapter (Chapter 12, page 105) from Class VIII social
science textbook has hurt the sentiments of ordinary people. It is like burying
the truth and actually attempting to obliterate acknowledgement of a
contribution that should be of pride to the whole state.
"This is
absolutely unfair at a time when RTI as a case study has become a part of the
curricula at Harvard University, Kennedy School of Governance, Budapest
University along with many other institutes. It is clear that it is being done
for political gains. The MKSS registers its strong protest and demands that an
independent textbook revision commission should be set up to evaluate the
revised textbooks. The deficiencies in the textbooks should be completed by
adding supplementary books," said Nikhil Dey of MKSS.
TOI had on
May 11 reported that Rajasthan's contribution to bringing about the only of its
kind Right to Information Act has been dropped in the revised Class VIII social
science textbook in the article titled 'Rajasthan textbooks omit local heroes,
downsize dynasties.' This chapter had a brief description of how the struggle
for right to information started in Rajsamand and went on to give the country a
unique Act in 2005. It gives credit to farmers and activists for this Act.
The MKSS expressed
surprise over the way textbooks were revised in a matter of two-three months.
"The set process was not followed in the textbook revision. Textbooks
rewriting committees for each subject was formed which subscribes to a
particular ideology. The revision of textbooks, which otherwise takes one-two
years, was not sent for any review to independent authors, not even to the
child psychologist, which has questioned the entire process," said Dey.
The letters
demand chief secretary for the reason behind textbook rewriting when the last
revision was done in 2011. "As per some news reports, state has spent over
Rs 350 crores for eight crore textbooks, which appears to be a colossal
waste," said Dey.
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