The Hindu : Kerala / Kochi News : Withdraw textbook: Chennithala

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Withdraw textbook: Chennithala

Staff Reporter

KOCHI: Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Ramesh Chennithala has demanded that the State government withdraw the social sciences textbook for the seventh standard and hold discussions with the protesting Kerala Students Union (KSU) and Youth Congress activists.

Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, Mr. Chennithala said the textbook had been turned into a tool for communist propaganda. He said the curriculum committee had not approved the book.

Education Minister M.A. Baby’s decision to appoint an expert committee to look into the content of the book was unacceptable, he said. “Even a layman can understand in a single reading that the book is loaded with communist ideologies,” Mr. Chennithala said. He said that while there were many other ways to spread communism, exploiting children for the purpose was deplorable. He alleged that the book twisted historical facts and belittled independence struggle.

“Disband committee”

Mr. Chennithala said the P.A. Mohammed Committee should either be disbanded or Mr. Mohammed should quit.

He said by reaching an agreement with the managements of professional self-financing colleges on the fee structure, Mr. Baby had usurped the powers of the committee. He said the Minister had no right to fix the fee structure since it was the responsibility of the committee.

He asked Mr. Mohammed to resign from the post rather than “becoming a pawn in the hands of the Education Minister.”

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