Jaipur, April 17 (IANS) A political confrontation has intensified in Rajasthan over the removal of four books from the school curriculum, with state Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasra alleging a “conspiracy to erase history,” while Education and Panchayati Raj Minister Madan Dilawar has strongly rebutted the claims.

Hitting back, Minister Madan Dilawar on Friday accused the Congress party of misleading the public and asserted that the party itself has a history of disrespecting eminent leaders like B.R. Ambedkar. He stated that Congress had reduced Babasaheb to being labelled merely a “Dalit leader”, whereas he is a national icon who framed laws for the welfare of all sections of society.

Addressing the media at his Jansamvad Kendra in Kota, Dilawar further alleged that Congress has often ignored great leaders such as Lal Bahadur Shastri and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in its narrative. He said that while Congress had strong leaders like Patel and Shastri, their contributions have not been adequately reflected in textbooks. He added that chapters should have included detailed accounts of Prime Ministers such as Lal Bahadur Shastri, Morarji Desai, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Narendra Modi. These are PMs who have done quality work in Independent India.

“So, why is there no content on these leaders? The book titled ‘Azaad Bharat ka Swarnim Itihas’ should have carried work done in independent India; however, all text is missing,” he quipped.

“We are not distorting history; we want to correct it. Ambedkar was never a Jan Sangh leader, but among the greatest leaders of Congress, and yet he has been reduced to a one-line mention as a Dalit leader,” Dilawar said.

“Also, Patel and Shastri were not Jan Sangh leaders, but they were tall leaders of Congress; still, no details have been written about them in textbooks,” he added.

He further remarked that while ‘Azad Bharat ka Swarnim Itihas’ is referenced, there is little meaningful content on post-independence India and its leadership.

Earlier, Govind Singh Dotasra questioned the rationale behind removing key textbooks, terming the move a “direct assault on thought and history”. He alleged that the decision was aimed at controlling narratives and warned that “an entire generation will be taught distorted truths and propaganda”.

He further asked whether the books were removed because they highlighted the contributions of leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, and Manmohan Singh, as well as the Constitution framed by Dr Ambedkar.

It needs to be mentioned here that the Rajasthan Education Department has taken a major decision by removing four textbooks from the curriculum for Classes 9 to 12.

The department has not only excluded these books from the syllabus but has also placed them under the category of “deleted books”, effectively banning their reading and teaching in schools. An official order regarding this decision was issued by Sitaram Jat, Director of the department. The directive clearly lists the names of the books and declares them prohibited, instructing both teachers and students not to use them.

Each of the four affected Classes, 9, 10, 11, and 12, had one book each removed. All these books are related to Rajasthan and Indian history, covering topics such as the state’s historical legacy, the freedom movement, and India’s development after independence.

The removed books include Class9 book ‘Rajasthan’s Freedom Movement’ and ‘Tradition of Valor’ (Hindi and English medium), Class 10 book ‘History and Culture of Rajasthan’ (Hindi and English medium), Class 11 ‘Golden India After Independence’ (Hindi and English medium) and Class 12 ‘Golden India After Independence, Part 2’ (Hindi and English medium)

–IANS

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