Panel suggests removal of ’’anti-church’’ contents in textbook

PTI

Thiruvananthapuram, 27 June 2011:  A committee set up by the Kerala Government to look into the Catholic Church’s complaint about the ’’anti-church’’ references in the 10th standard Social Science textbook has recommended removal of the controversial portions as they hurt religious sentiments of the believers. 

 

The report submitted recently by the two-member panel, comprising former Additional Chief Secretary Dr D Babu Paul and historian Dr Raimon, however, discounted the church’s allegation that the inclusion of such ’’anti-religious’’ contents was the result of a "deliberate Marxist plot to run down the church." "There are some factual errors and objectionable contents in the textbook.We have submitted our suggestions and it is for the government to take action on them," Raimon told PTI. 

After studying the chapter titled "the dawn of modern era" dealing with the Renaissance, which deeply influenced the history of Europe since the 14th century, the panel found that it contained factual errors resulting from approaching history from purely Marxist perspective. 

 

The church had taken serious objection to the contents in the textbook, prepared by a committee of academics during the previous LDF Government, alleging it was meant to propagate Marxist ideology.

 

The church alleged that the chapter on Renaissance titled ’’the dawn of the modern era’’ was entirely meant to defame the church and establish that Catholic ideals were outdated. 

 

Though the Government had initially urged eminent historian MGS Narayanan to be a member of the panel,he declined to join it.