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Jun262008
Just Another Day In Kerala
I don’t have anything new to write about what is happening in Kerala. Its strikes and protests happening there, along with a student strike yesterday.
Just another day in Kerala !
Now the latest reason why the so called students are protesting is because of a controversial textbook introduced this year for Class 7. Yes you heard it right Class 7.
So what does this text book contain that makes it controversial? The first chapter contains lessons about ”Life without religion”. The idea of the lesson was that everyone is equal, the way it was executed was very confusing. The opposition is arguing that this is communist propaganda and the Marxist party in kerala is trying to inflict communism and atheism in children. The ruling party argues that the textbook was approved by a board comprising of all party members.
Now I wouldn’t say that the ruling party is right about adding a lesson ”Life without religion” for the 7th Std Student text book (”Life without religion” for bunch of 13 year olds?), nor I would support the opposition on how the protests are being carried out.
The seventh standard students are not protesting, nor are the teachers. Its the ’so called students’ from KSU(Kerala Student’s Union), MSF and Youth Congress that are protesting, well not peacefully. They are on a rampage across the state, destroying public property, burning school books, beating up policemen and media persons, disrupting traffic and destroying government vehicles.
Now these are not something new in Kerala, if you tune into any Malayalam news channel, the half hour program will contain news only about strikes, hartals, bandhs, protests, and more protests. Well its the only place in the world which observed a hartal when Saddam was hanged.
Hey, all is not wrong in kerala. The people of kerala however can breath a sign of relief about one thing, the bus operators association had postponed their planned strike for today to next week.
Welcome to God’s own country.
The views expressed in this post are those of the writer and are not necessarily endorsed by Mutiny.in
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Ujj
001
1:16 pm
“burning school books” !
I guess the dystopia described in Fahrenheit 451 is actually coming true.
sanjukta
002
2:00 pm
But what is wrong with the chapter “Life without religion” at whatever age. Hello religion is forced upon us from the time when we are just few months old, loads of customs like naam karans mundans etc. Bongs hav this thing called annaprashan..where a 6 month baby is all dressed up like a bride/groom and fed with a grand lunch.
Kids hardly have learnt to walk and they are taken to places of worship and are taught by parents how to worship.
So forcing a religion upon a child is ok? And giving them another outlook, a possibility of a life without religion is not ok? Let them learn about atheism too and then let them decide…
btw religion is nothing but a matter of faith and lifestyle. One choses to have faith in an external force than oneself, another choses to NOT have faith in anything but oneself. Both could be a religious. Like I am religiously non religious.
xylene
003
2:18 pm
sanjukta,
my point was, dont talk about religion at all in schools. we wudnt want the 12 year olds to start debating about religion in their classes. LIke you said let them decide on to be religious or non-religious on their own, why talk about it in school?
But the protests are baseless, because that chapter was harmless and wouldnt have done any damage to the religious or no religious sentiments.
Nikhil Narayanan
004
2:59 pm
@Xylene @Sanjukta
Suggest going through http://www.keralatips.org/2008/06/26/more-on-the-seventh-standard-textbook/ and his earlier post on the same issue to get a better picture.
Also, http://tvmtalkies.com/archives/474
and http://tvmrising.blogspot.com/2008/06/storm-in-teacuperrrtextbook.html
xylene
005
3:37 pm
@Nikhil,
Thanksfor the links. I think that should make the matter more clear now. My point was on the unwanted protests that is happening now in kerala over an issue which is not really important.
Nikhil Narayanan
006
4:28 pm
@Xylene
And guess what, Hartal tmrw in Trivandrum! sigh! Thanks to a non existent party in Kerala, ya you guessed it right, bee jay pee
deepak
007
7:12 pm
@xylene
if not in schools, where else do u expect them to talk about it?how else could the message “life without religion is possible and is very feasible” be conveyed to evrybody?
xylene
008
7:16 pm
@Deepak,
I think the kid should decide on that on himself when he old enough. We dont have to lead them to a debate on religion.
deepak
009
7:39 pm
@xylene
To extend ur thought, it would be okay to say that social awareness need not be forced on children? how do u expect people who were brought up with words like, “XYZ is our savior, he is the only person who can save the world”, and “anybody who doesnt believe in ABC is a ka**r” and “non-XYZs are not pure enough to get to your places of worship” to suddenly grow up and ask questions like “what has religion done to me”, “why do i need a religion”, “what are the differences between me and people of other religion” etc?
xylene
010
7:48 pm
@Deepak,
I think you got my point wrong. So you think that unless the children are taught about all these in schools he/she wouldn;t be asking that question when he /she grows up?
deepak
011
8:41 pm
@xylene
some people may - most people dont.. if evrybody could throw away the prejudices and sensibly evaluate and pick a religion of their choice after they grow up, there would be a lot more caste conversions than now.. i dont mean that people who think sensibly should convert from one religion to another, but, people take things for granted and never ever think about these things without the prejudices that have been forced upon them during childhood..
The modern mullah
012
10:07 pm
@xylene,
I wouldn’t comment on this till I see whats in the text. I was recently in Kerala for the first time in my life and what I saw there was a combustible mix of religions and a lunatic government which thinks that Russian TV channels are needed by people who speak Malyalam and Tamil. So the opposition may be entirely justified in saying that its communist propaganda or they may be simply raising a non-issue, anything is possible in ‘Gods own country’.
Kerala Seven Standard text BOOK here in format PDF
013
5:36 am
Dear Reader,
Please find Copy of Kerala’s “Controversial” Seven Std Social Science Text BOOK.PDF format documents available to download.
http://www.4shared.com/dir/7762101/9733433f/sharing.html
Please download and JUDGE your self why Bishops, Mullas & their blind followers are
strikeing aganist this TEXT…???
Please leave your comment at the site ..SCERT will look in to the comments.
Regards,
Kerala Seven Standard text BOOK here in format PDF
014
5:40 am
Guys,
i am disapponited with most of responses here based on what you see in channels/politions/mullahs/bishops (which all got its own agendas).
here is full text fro you…READ once then comment..
- What is anti-christains here..?
- What is anti-Muslim here??
- What is aganist Congress leaders/independance strikes..?
here is teh link..for FULL PDF version of text
http://www.4shared.com/dir/7762101/9733433f/sharing.html
Read
read..
think..
think..
then comments…N
Pastor Jeff
015
6:57 am
The government should not promote religious education nor should it promote an anti religious education. No one can be forced to have faith. No one can be forced not to have faith. The choice is a free one for each person. Having said that, one’s belief in a particular diety or religious system does not make it true. In the end there is only one truth. Just because we want things to be a particular way does not make it so. God does not allow himself to be placed in a box. We are in God’s box. No human can change that.
Nikhil Narayanan
016
10:16 am
In my CBSE Hindi, dunno-which-class, I had a lesson on Kabir which said, after his death Muslims and Hindus fought for his body and his body turned into roses.
And it was when PVN Rao was our PM and Congress was ruling.
How did this chapter influence me I wonder. I am sure, it would have been class 7 or 8.
This protest is all BULL jus’ to gain some mileage.
Nikhil Narayanan
017
1:56 pm
@xylene
I went through the whole text book and here are my comments:
Having an excerpt from AK Gopalan’s (auto)biography is not expected. He is a well known communist leader of yester years. This is like bombarding commie thoughts in class 7.
The style in which “Kudiyozhippikkal” and Karivellur Samaram are introduced indeed has a commie angle.
Too much stress on Land Reforms, unwanted.
Would a 7th standard kid understand Smt KR Gouriamma’s response to a bill, as told in the assembly?? Why are they doing this?
Pages on Human Devlopment Indices of Kerala, good, acceptable.
I don’t understand-what is being taught? Time line of the social changes?
Why is there an excerpt on how lower caste women used to have food left over by Antarjanams(Namboodiri Brahmin women)??? What are the commies trying to convey?
Channar Revolt-unwanted , again selling commie ideology.
Vaikom and Guruvayoor Satyagrahams-These should have been the ONLY one to be included in the text book, rather worth including.
Pratyaksha Rakshasabha-why get into every single point of social equality.
Wouldn’t the mention of Vaikom or Guruvayur be enough?
Same with the mention of Muslim Ikyasangham.
After going through all these portions, a 7th standard kid reaches a chapter that says, say no not only to caste, but religion. Should these things be taught in school, that too at this level?
Having the lines from all holy books-accepted.
But, I still haven’t understood the relevance of a question that asks which religion would be affected the max by inflation, water scarcity, contagious diseases and earthquake..!!!
May be they wanted the answer, people of all religions would be affected. sigh!
Chapter 3
Iniyum Muttott-the mention of Palm Oil rates was unwanted, rest accepted.
The next page that mentions a “rich guy” who says he will do whatever with his land while a passerby comments why are people protesting? These two kinds of people are painted a shade of ENEMY;yes, the commies what more jobless people for DYFI , SFI whatever.
The text says, “As discussed in a class, these were the meanings of Freedom”; instead this should have been an open discussion in every class. Shouldn’t that been a better way to do it rather than already having 4 meanings for freedom.
Parts of the British coming in-well, good! But comparing it with today’s situation? Do they expect an answer of the lines of communism?? Please, gimme a break!!!
Parts on Bhagat Singh and other revolutionaries-acceptable.
Throwing light on the revolt of 1857, Jalianwalla Bagh massacare-yes, much needed at this level. If not in class 7, when?
Other parts on Indian History like pages on Khilafat,Dandi Satyagraha,Quit India-acceptable.
This chapter ends with a note to start a discussion on Land grabbing, caste/gender based discrimination, accumulation of wealth–is this an NDTV debate?
News clippings on Forest Guards/Excise attacked,or Sand/Liqour mafia attacking people-UNWANTED.
Then why not include DYFI/SFI vandalising,killing people in Kannur??? HUH!
Asking the students to compare the British discipline to India’s prgress(ie Mukesh Ambani’s wealth)-Weird, useless
Portion on length of day/night-acceptable.
Other geography portions, parts on civilizations and the rest of the book seem fine to me.
xylene
018
2:12 pm
@Nikhil,
Thanks for the long comment. I did read some of the clippings of the text book available on the internet. The one on Mukesh Ambani was weird indeed. Are they trying to tell the children that Mr Ambani is rich, so he is different from the rest?
I am wondering who wrote the book.
Nikhil Narayanan
019
2:16 pm
@Xylene
Read the whole book at
http://www.4shared.com/file/52342374/1df26d5a/Seven_Std_Text_KERALA.html
Read the book and you will hate most parts of it.
Commies are sickos.!
Not that the rest are all any better.
Sudarshan
020
5:31 pm
We can also teach kids how it is good to serve others. Then we can tell kids that if they are rich, they are exploiting the poor. Then we can teach them that all gods are bad. The only good god is Marx. All people are equal, so all need to be earning the same amount of money. Or else it will be discriminatory. Wait and watch.
mks
021
7:13 am
The title of the lesson is NOT “Life Without Religion”.
It is “Jeevan Without Religion”, alternatively translated in The Hindu daily as ” Jeevan: The Casteless”. Jeevan is the name of a school student whose father and mother are born into different religions.
Here is the 58-word lesson in the eye of the textbook controversy in Kerala, titled Mathamillaatha Jeevan (Jeevan, the casteless), in translation:
After seating the parents, who had come with their ward, in the chairs before him, the headmaster began filling the application form.
“Son, what’s your name?”
“Jeevan”
“Good, nice name. Father’s name?”
“Anvar Rasheed.”
“Mother’s name?”
“Lakshmi Devi.”
The headmaster raised his head, looked at the parents and asked:
“Which religion should we write?”
“None. Write there is no religion.”
“Caste?”
“The same.”
The headmaster leaned back in his chair and asked a little gravely:
“What if he feels the need for a religion when he grows up?”
“Let him choose his religion when he feels so.”
FROM The Hindu
26 June 2008
Nikhil Narayanan
022
10:36 am
@xylene
Sigh!
http://blog.nikhil.co.in/2008/07/hartal-nationkerala.html
Abdul Jabbar N
023
8:07 pm
I do not think the said book can spread Communism in 12 age students or any person .This is really surpise!And not against relegion or cast. I read the complete text book through net.
The text book issue is 100 % a politically motivated issue.Those who disagree they can submit their suggestion to the Committe that govt. formed recently. And peacefully can protest. Now what going on here is right ? In the account of relegion ?
rich
024
3:07 am
I only wish my childrens school would have a text book that teaches life without religion.
susu
025
10:02 pm
‘burrr ‘ study till u die that is better
RAJESH.N.S
026
10:49 pm
i am lecturer of kannur salafi b.ed college , kannue
in our new curriculim system , we will use only issue based curriculum , but in mathematics how can successfully use it , can u give some suggession.