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Sat, 19th Jul 2008  The recent socio-political turmoil in Kerala is a farce. The ruling left front introduced a revised Social Science textbook for class 7 which includes a chapter titled, Jeevan the casteless, son of inter-religious parents seeking admission in school.
It is true that the children of inter-religious parents need recognition in society but does being of no caste propagate the idea of secularism and religious tolerance. Aren't there many better ways to instill secularism?
When quizzed by a journalist on the issue the education minister's reply was quite interesting. "You people dont seem to have studied this textbook in your class 7" he said. OK, let me be fair and assume that the intention was not to propagate communism but secularism and also to disseminate undistorted history. Then why does the text fail to acknowledge the role played by Indian National Congress in the Quit India movement? How will the government justify the presence of a frog's picture in place of Mahatma Gandhi?
Given the influential role played by religious fundamentalists in Kerala the opposition unfortunately but tactfully gave thrust to the caste issue rather than to their party ideologies and idols.
The student activists decided to make hay while the sun shines, staging protests and demonstrations statewide. The police lathi-charged them because of their violent approach or if the protests turned violent when they were lathi-charged is debatable. Either way, the police treated the activists rather inhumanely, even the ruling party had to admit that.
Surprising was the home minister's selection of words, he stated that the issue was meant to put the state in 'anarchy' mode. Does he think opposition student activists are terrorists? He further deployed the not so large police force at the dharnas. That should indicate the shortage of human resource in the police department.
By the way, how does he hope to tackle his own activists who attacked three journalists while protesting against the opposition. Violent protests to protest violent protests! Come across such a beautiful irony off late?
All seems to me to be a vicious cycle. Going by the trend in Kerala politics, the incumbency factor will throw the present government out of power in the next elections. The student activists proficient at stone pelting will be rewarded by the party seniors so that they will use their power to send the policemen who beat them to some remote corner of the state.(now you get why there are less policemen?)
The textbooks would be revised by another committee. By then the opposition has to start its 'duties' and subsequently get lathi-charged. As long as the incompetent, short-sighted and power hungry politicians consider police as their puppets this vicious cycle will go on.
On a more serious note, Indian political parties in power have been trying to push through their so called ideologies through textbooks for the past several years. For one political party, secularism means caste based reservation. for another it is atheism and for another it is the propaganda of the majority religion's sentiments.
My question is; what sense does it make to teach secularism to 7th standard students who have to disclose their religion and caste to seek admission to primary school? Soon a part of them will become victims of caste based reservations and caste based vote bank politics while the rest of them will enjoy the benefits of their caste. For most of us secularism remains a myth taught in schools that has left us wonder if governance in India will ever be independent of religion and caste?  | 
