Textbook row: Forum adopts four demands, sets 10-day deadline

Mahakavi Kuvempu Horata Samiti president G B Patil proposed the charter signed by over 500 people

Withdrawal of the revised textbooks, resignation of the Education Minister and the arrest of writer Rohith Chakratirtha are among the demands put forward by a rights collective that staged a protest here Saturday, giving the government 10 days to comply.

Thousands of people gathered at Freedom Park to stage a protest mobilised by the Vishwamanava Krantikari Mahakavi Kuvempu Horata Samiti.

Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, Karnataka Congress president D K Shivakumar, former Supreme Court Justice V Gopala Gowda, former High Court Justice HN Nagmohan Das, pontiffs, writers among others were present.

Samiti president G B Patil proposed the charter signed by over 500 people.

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The demands are: Withdrawal of textbooks framed by the Chakratirtha committee; continuation of textbooks designed by the previous Baraguru Ramachandrappa committee; a case of treason against Chakratirtha for “insulting” Kuvempu and the Nada Geete he wrote; the resignation of Primary & Secondary Education Minister BC Nagesh over the textbook revision controversy.

The new textbook has been accused of either reducing or distorting content on Kuvempu, social reformer Basavanna and BR Ambedkar. Also, screenshots of an old social media post by Chakratirtha - where he had shared a WhatsApp forward on Kuvempu's Nada Geete that was recast to attack the Congress - went viral, causing anger.

The Samiti wanted Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to receive the charter. A police officer informed Gurugunda Brahmeshwara Mutt pontiff Nanjavadutha Swami and Deve Gowda that Bommai will not receive it as one of the demands is to roll back the new changes in the textbooks. The charter was handed over to Gowda so he can give it to the government.

“We’ve decided to give the government ten days (time) to meet the demands. After that, we will decide the next course of action,” Patil announced.

On Friday, Nagesh had met Gowda to dissuade him from participating in the protest. But, not only did Gowda show up at Freedom Park, he told the protest meeting that the agitation should meet its “logical end”, citing the example of the Gokak movement. “I am ready to join the protest whenever I’m called,” he said.

Shivakumar tore a copy of the new textbook to demonstrate his protest. “The government should withdraw the textbooks. Otherwise, after the 2023 Assembly elections, the textbooks will be thrown away,” he said.

Accusing the textbooks of imposing an ideology, Nanjavadutha Swami said Basavanna would not have founded the Lingayat faith if everything was alright with Brahminism. “Why did he take up Linga Deekshe if Brahminism was full of equality, compassion and love,” he asked.