Rajasthan government makes changes on Savarkar text taught in Class 10

Yash Goyal
Jaipur, May 13 

The Congress government in Rajasthan will not teach Veer Savarkar as a “strong freedom fighter and patriot” and have changed the text on his life as per the Education Department’s review and recommendations.

“The biography prepared and introduced in Class 10 textbooks by previous BJP government had portrayed Savarkar as much stronger than other freedom fighters solely for ‘political gains’ and to impress upon RSS ideology,” Rajasthan’s MoS for School Education Govind Singh Dotasara said on Monday.

As per the revision by a review committee appointed by Education Department, Savarkar had put four mercy petitions to British to skip jail term and had supported them during Second World War.

Hence the topic was subjected to revision in Class 10 textbook in the lesson titled ‘Angreji Samarjya ka pratikar aur sangarsh’ which carried history of many other legendary freedom fighters, the minister said. 

“The review committee has not played any politics in it but it was the then BJP government that made many changes in school syllabi on political interests of the RSS,” he alleged. 

Earlier in the day at a press conference, when Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot was reminded of this change, he commented, “It could be a matter of debate. Earlier the BJP government tried to manipulate the history but I must tell you those who do this kind of distortion and change never make any history.

“The Education Department’s review committee has done it after consulting all facts of freedom movement.” 

Condemning the changes, BJP state president Madan Lal Saini told The Tribune that it was an indication of “cheap and disgusting mentality of those (Congress) changing the valour, freedom struggle and legendary patriotic hero Veer Savarkar who suffered ‘kala pani’ and could not meet his brother in the same prison. 

“The BJP will protest this abrupt change in the history of Savarkar in school books,” he warned and added the Congress government would not only be insulting heroes of Indian freedom struggle but also commit a “sin” for the young generation who could not learn the ideals from heroes such as Savarkar.