In a major development, the Rajasthan School Education Council recalled text book having a chapter on the 2002 Godhra incident. Reacting to the order, state Education Minister Madan Dilawar said that this decision was taken as the Congress led government in the state allowed the chapter to glorify the killers. Apart from the book, three more books have also been recalled.
The Education Council directed district education officers to recall the copies of ‘Jeevan Ki Bahar’, ‘Chitti Ek Kutta Aur Uska Jungle Farm’ taught from Class 9 to 12 and ‘Adrishya Log – Story of Hope and Courage’ and ‘Jeevan Ki Bahar’ for Class 11 and 12, citing technical reasons behind the decision.
The education minister said that these books were selected by his former counterpart Govind Singh Dotasara and subsequently bought and distributed.
However, a general read of these books revealed negative information about Godhra. The criminal has been described as good, a clear attempt to glorify the killers which is not right. Dilawar said the books have been recalled so that children don’t create opinions based on wrong information.
In the chapter titled ‘9 Long Years’ in ‘Invisible People – Story of Hope and Courage’, the fire incident in the train at Godhra has been described as a terrorist conspiracy.
