The raging controversy over revision of textbooks deepened after two seers of prominent mutts claimed the class 9 textbook contained erroneous information about 12th century social reformer Basavanna and asked the state government to correct it.
The development came as the ongoing row over the revisions carried out by the committee headed by Rohith Chakrathirta refused to die down, with three more writers asking the government to drop their contributions alleging saffronisation.
On Tuesday, seer of Sanehalli-based Taralabalu Branch Mutt Sri Panditaradhya Shivacharya swamiji and Basavajaya Mruthyunjay swamiji of Koodalasangama urged Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to rectify the errors or continue the old textbook.
In his letter to Bommai, Panditaradhya swamiji, states, "There is widespread concern about the way textbook content has been changed and revised. Textbooks are not available to verify the concerns. Caste and politics should not dominate in a textbook committee. I saw the draft of the revised textbook copies on WhatsApp."
The seer wanted the "mistakes" to be corrected, failing which he warned of a state-wide agitation.
"Either the government has to correct the mistakes about Basavanna in the textbook or continue the old textbook," the Taralabalu seer said.
He cited a WhatsApp message doing the rounds and said in the class 9 social science textbook, there was a sentence in a lesson that read: "Vachanakaras reformed Veerashaiva religion".
The seer said this is wrong; instead, it should have said "they practised Lingayat religion".
Basavajayamruthyunjay swamiji of Koodalasangama said that principles propagated by Basavanna and Kuvempu are being disrespected by the textbook revision committee. "The CM should take steps to rectify the errors before the textbook is printed," the seer said.
Three more writers join protest
Protesting against the alleged saffronisation of school textbooks, noted poet Mudnakudu Chinnaswamy on Tuesday asked Primary and Secondary Education Minister B C Nagesh to exclude his poem titled 'Nanna Kavithege' from the Kannada textbook for class 5.
In the letter addressed to the minister, the poet said the "Kannada literary world is upset with the government's move to saffronise school textbooks".
"Providing wrong info about Basavanna and humiliating poet laureate Kuvempu are an insult to Kannada's cultural world," Chinnaswamy added.
Another writer Erappa M Kambali has also written a letter to the education minister stating that he has decided to withdraw permission given to include his essay 'Heegondu top Payana' in class 10 Kannada textbook (third language).
Poet Roopa Hassan, too, has written to Nagesh, requesting her poem "Ammanaguvudendare" be dropped from class 9 Kannada textbook
Amid the developments, Nagesh clarified that the committee headed by Chakratirtha has not made any changes regarding Basavanna, instead they retained the contents from the book revised by the Mudambaditaya committee.
"Some people are trying to create confusion and unrest among the public," said Nagesh.
Chakrathirtha allegations
On the allegations against Chakrathirtha on disrespecting the state anthem, the minister said," It was in the year 2017 and Rohith Chakratirtha did not post anything on social media. He just forwarded what was received and there was a police complaint also. The investigation had proved him innocent and B report was filed."