Two more poets want their poems out of Karnataka school textbooks

BENGALURU/HASSAN: As a controversy over revision of school textbooks is snowballing, poets Mudnakudu Chinnaswamy and Rupa Hassan on Tuesday wrote to Primary and Secondary Education Minister BC Nagesh withdrawing permission for their poems in textbooks. Chinnaswamy said he is taking back the approval for his Nanna Kavithege poem in the Class 5 Kannada textbook, while Rupa said her poem Ammanaguvudadare should not be included in the Class 9 syllabus.

Over the last few days, Hampa Nagarajaiah has quit from the Rashtrakavi Kuvempu Pratishtana, while Prof SG Siddaramaiah from the Rashtrakavi  S Shivarudrappa Pratishtana, protesting against the alleged saffronisation textbooks by textbook review committee headed by Rohit Chakrathirtha.

Chinnaswamy said the Kannada literary world is bewildered by saffronisation of textbooks, misinformation on Basavanna and insults heaped on Rashtrakavi Kuvempu, which amounts to insulting the Kannada cultural consciousness.

“The education sector, which has to shape future generations and help build a healthy society, coming under assault over unwarranted issues is regrettable,” he remarked.

Rupa said she is not happy with the syllabus selected by Chakrathirtha. She said the government has insulted writers and poets by including unwanted syllabus and omitting important thoughts. The government has neglected women writers and scholars by not including their poems or texts in the SSLC Kannada syllabus, she added. Some progressive thinkers pointed to another flaw in a chapter on Dr B R Ambedkar, saying the reasons for him joining Buddhishm have been concealed.