06-23-2006, 04:44 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Chauhan: Nehru taking too much space in history</b>
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/artic...672536.cms
BHOPAL: <b>Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan says that India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru can no longer remain in schools' history texts because space has to be created for other freedom fighters who have been ignored so far.</b>
Chauhan, under attack from the opposition Congress for 'saffronisation of education', said on Thursday he had respect for Nehru but there wasn't enough space in the books.
"Jawaharlal Nehru was a mahapurush. We respect him and are not in denial of Nehru's place in Indian history. <b>But the time has come for us to break the Congress tradition of highlighting just one family as freedom fighters," </b>said Chauhan, who was flanked by his school education minister Narottam Mishra.
The CM said thousands of patriots had joined India's freedom movement, gone to jail, even died for Independence.
"So far, the party that ruled this country for decades advanced and emphasised only those in their league. It is not right for just one great man to be hailed, printed and taught about in schools, while thousands others whose blood brought us our freedom should be discriminated against and left as unsung heroes."
As a result, 'Chacha Nehru mujhe bana do' and Kamala Nehru will become history as far as Madhya Pradesh is concerned. These essays were part of the primary school texts.
Retaliating to Congress allegations of RSS pressure to remove Nehru from the texts, Chauhan alleged: "<b>Take a look at the history book of CBSE Class X. Nehru's picture has been printed eight to nine times. </b>This has been the Congress' agenda. Justice should be done to our history.
We have had other great men who deserve the same stature. <b>In MP, we have not given sufficient representation to Chandrasekhar Azad and Tantiya Bhil, who are heroes from our state. </b>These forgotten heroes are under our consideration."
Narottam Mishra said the Congress' allegation of removal of Nehru is wrong. "We have replaced the article on Kamala Nehru by Jawaharlal Nehru's letter to Indira Gandhi on the river Ganga. We have replaced one writing of his by another.
The state has an education committee that decides on a fresh syllabus every five years. In this change of syllabus, we have tried to accommodate other freedom fighters. And unless some old chapters are removed, new lessons cannot be added."
But angry Congress supporters are not buying the argument. On Wednesday, activists had burnt the CM's effigy, leading to a confrontation with the state police.
After Chauhan's justification on Thursday, Congress spokesman Manak Agarwal said: "We are not against other freedom fighters, but Jawaharlal Nehru was the first Prime Minister and the founder of modern India. Why has he been removed?"<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/artic...672536.cms
BHOPAL: <b>Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan says that India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru can no longer remain in schools' history texts because space has to be created for other freedom fighters who have been ignored so far.</b>
Chauhan, under attack from the opposition Congress for 'saffronisation of education', said on Thursday he had respect for Nehru but there wasn't enough space in the books.
"Jawaharlal Nehru was a mahapurush. We respect him and are not in denial of Nehru's place in Indian history. <b>But the time has come for us to break the Congress tradition of highlighting just one family as freedom fighters," </b>said Chauhan, who was flanked by his school education minister Narottam Mishra.
The CM said thousands of patriots had joined India's freedom movement, gone to jail, even died for Independence.
"So far, the party that ruled this country for decades advanced and emphasised only those in their league. It is not right for just one great man to be hailed, printed and taught about in schools, while thousands others whose blood brought us our freedom should be discriminated against and left as unsung heroes."
As a result, 'Chacha Nehru mujhe bana do' and Kamala Nehru will become history as far as Madhya Pradesh is concerned. These essays were part of the primary school texts.
Retaliating to Congress allegations of RSS pressure to remove Nehru from the texts, Chauhan alleged: "<b>Take a look at the history book of CBSE Class X. Nehru's picture has been printed eight to nine times. </b>This has been the Congress' agenda. Justice should be done to our history.
We have had other great men who deserve the same stature. <b>In MP, we have not given sufficient representation to Chandrasekhar Azad and Tantiya Bhil, who are heroes from our state. </b>These forgotten heroes are under our consideration."
Narottam Mishra said the Congress' allegation of removal of Nehru is wrong. "We have replaced the article on Kamala Nehru by Jawaharlal Nehru's letter to Indira Gandhi on the river Ganga. We have replaced one writing of his by another.
The state has an education committee that decides on a fresh syllabus every five years. In this change of syllabus, we have tried to accommodate other freedom fighters. And unless some old chapters are removed, new lessons cannot be added."
But angry Congress supporters are not buying the argument. On Wednesday, activists had burnt the CM's effigy, leading to a confrontation with the state police.
After Chauhan's justification on Thursday, Congress spokesman Manak Agarwal said: "We are not against other freedom fighters, but Jawaharlal Nehru was the first Prime Minister and the founder of modern India. Why has he been removed?"<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->