Karnataka mulls to drop paras from text book that hurt sentiments of Brahmins


Bengaluru, Dec 18 (IANS): Karnataka Primary and Secondary Education Minister S. Suresh Kumar on Thursday directed the Commissioner for Public Instruction (CPI) to take steps to drop relevant paras from the Class VI Social Science text book which are deemed to be insinuating remarks against the "Brahmin" community.

In his note, Kumar said that the paras which appear in page number 82 and 83 are irrelevant and not suitable for such a young age. "The CPI must take steps to issue a circular to drop this lesson from the syllabus with immediate effect," he stated in his note.

The minister's note sent to the CPI said that lesson number seven of the Class VI Social Science text book titled 'Emergence of New Religions' mentions that Brahmins used to offer sacrifices like agricultural animals, and offered milk and ghee to the Fire God during 'havan', which caused food scarcity in those times.

Quoting the text book excerpts, Kumar stated that Kshatriyas who had to counsel Brahmins all the time were fed up and were responsible for new religions to usher in the society. "Kashtraiyas are the ones who encouraged new religions like Jainism and Buddhism to flourish in the country," the minister observed in his note.

"Such anomalies that have crept into the text book need to be dropped as they hurt religious sentiments," he said in his note.

 

 

 

 

  

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  • Rudolf Rodrigues, Mumbai

    Fri, Dec 18 2020

    "Brahmins used to offer sacrifices like agricultural animals, and offered milk and ghee to the Fire God during 'havan', which caused food scarcity in those times."

    Please understand, here he is talking about what once they used to do which led to "food scarcity" and not anything about caste hierarchy etc.

    DisAgree [1] Agree [1] Reply Report Abuse

  • N S Bhat, Mangaluru

    Fri, Dec 18 2020

    Yes
    But I think it is an openion or interpretation of the author of the book from which the concept is picked.

    Scarcity of food might not be caused by those reasons as only a small percentage of people were engaged in such huge practices like Yaga or Yajna.

    If the author or text book committee have any historical evidences, then that reason is ok. Otherwise it is an insult to the whole theory behind such practices.

    I am not telling animal sacrifice is good.
    I am talking only about the reason discussed here for food scarcity.

    DisAgree [1] Agree [1] Reply Report Abuse

  • RSRB, Kundapura

    Fri, Dec 18 2020

    My grand father was Shoodra (he did farming)
    My father was a Brahmin (he did teaching)
    My elder sibling is Kshatriya (in Indian Defense)
    My younger sibling is Vaishya (doing cloth business)

    Myself is now Shoodra (doing farming).....

    Is the caste hereditary? Strictly NO... NO.... NO....
    My concept is clear...
    In government records, I prefer to keep the column blank

    DisAgree Agree [6] Reply Report Abuse

  • Rudolf Rodrigues, Mumbai

    Fri, Dec 18 2020

    Nowadays SC/ST, lower caste people hold top positions due to reservation policy!

    DisAgree [1] Agree [2] Reply Report Abuse

  • Rudolf Rodrigues, Mumbai

    Fri, Dec 18 2020

    Facts are facts and they should never be concealed from children!

    BTW, in this information age they will get the real info somehow so this deleting exercise is a foolish idea!

    DisAgree [5] Agree [4] Reply Report Abuse

  • RSRB, Kundapura

    Fri, Dec 18 2020

    Rudolf Rodrigues, Mumbai

    Is it a fact or not itself is the question. It is definitely not a fact till it became hereditary. Now government has to announce it is no more hereditary and one can choose the caste of his/her choice and perform the work according to it.

    DisAgree Agree [3] Reply Report Abuse

  • N S Bhat, Mangaluru

    Fri, Dec 18 2020

    The Government has taken a good step and let us hope it will come to action.

    I cannot understand what is 'distruction of caste system'. But I think, caste system has it's own advantages especially in Indian society. It is similar to constitution as it reaches where constitution cannot. Wrong interpretation of caste ideals is the real cause of concern, so it should be blamed, not Caste system nowadays.

    Coming to the point, it is good to remove the content which hurt a community. In this point, I remember my school-days. Especially in Dakshina Kannada a book 'oduva ata (ಓದುವ ಆಟ) of Dr Shivarama Karantha was considered as text book for Kannada. Later it was found that there is a lesson with such a content which hurt a community. So, instead of removing that chapter, the full book was cancelled. So today it is right to remove such paras from textbook.

    History cannot be chaged. But history can be false if it is interpretted in an untruthful way.

    Rising of new religions is like rising of new political parties!!
    When public looses it's interest in the ideals of a party, new parties will come to existence. Same way new religions also.

    DisAgree [6] Agree [7] Reply Report Abuse

  • Eustace, Mumbai

    Fri, Dec 18 2020

    @N.S.Bhat, Mangalore. Reality should be taught to the students. Past of a nation should not be concealed. If there were bad practices, the system should adjusted. We are moving towards that goal. Some kshtriayas & brahimins say shudras shud be proud to be called shudras. If they have not been given their right to move up and be upper caste why they should be proud? And then what about the avarniyas (the fifth class that does not belong to anywhere) should they be considered humans? Manusmrti does not have that opinion, but in todays world we cant ignore. Simply said, Manusmrti should be dumped.

    DisAgree [4] Agree [4] Reply Report Abuse

  • N S Bhat, Mangaluru

    Fri, Dec 18 2020

    Reality should not be concealed. That is right. But, in the said text book it is written that during the Vedik period animal sacrifices and food grain sacrifices in Yajna were present and these sacrifices caused scarcity in food grains. I cant think sacrifices caused scarcity. I think it is the personal openion and interpretation of the author. Avoiding such personal openions in the textbook is appreciable.

    Animal sacrifice and food grain sacrifice both were present in that period and were really bad practices, no doubt. But such practices were performed by rich families like kings. So these practices were very far to bring food grain scarcity in such a large amount.

    One more concept in the text book is that Vegetarianism was introduced by the influence of Jainism and Budhism. But in Vedic literatures vegetarianism was already introduced as Sathvika ahara (सात्त्विक आहार). I don't know whether it is said in the textbook somewhere else.

    Nowadays, our textbooks, while coming to the concept of vedik religion, only focus on the bad practices like animal sacrifice. Instead of only highlighting such bad practices, we can introduce it's good things.

    For example, in Yagas and Yajnas, it is said that all the varnas must work together. Various duties of Yaga and Yajna were distributed to the people from different community. One of the definitions of Yaga says that Yaga means 'Unity'. Why cant our textbooks quote such Vedic Religion Ideals while teaching Unity?

    In olden times, Sanskrit was 'priests language'. But today anyone can learn it. How many of us are learning it or promoting our kids to learn it?

    Finally, I am not telling that everything in our vedik religion was good. Sure, there were bad practices. It is important to tell our children to avoid such bad practices, and it is also important to promote them to follow good practices. Then only the History becomes well balanced.

    DisAgree [1] Agree [2] Reply Report Abuse

  • Prasad, Mangalore

    Fri, Dec 18 2020

    Horse has bolted. What use in removing para if no school

    DisAgree [3] Agree [1] Reply Report Abuse

  • Ravi, Mangalore

    Fri, Dec 18 2020

    No community can be insulted.

    DisAgree [1] Agree [10] Reply Report Abuse

  • Esther, Mumbia

    Fri, Dec 18 2020

    @Ravi, can the truth be told, that happened a long time ago? The Karma of brahmins is catching up.

    DisAgree [5] Agree [2] Reply Report Abuse

  • Indian, BANGALORE

    Fri, Dec 18 2020

    Paras can be dropped. But history can't be changed!

    DisAgree [13] Agree [26] Reply Report Abuse

  • RSRB, Kundapura

    Fri, Dec 18 2020

    Brahmin means "a scholar, teacher, priest, intellectual, researcher, scientist, knowledge-seeker, or knowledge worker".

    No one will become Brahmin by birth. All are Shoodras by birth. Later, they can become Brahmin (by improving brain power), Kshatriya (improving muscle power), Vaishya (improving trading skills). I am a proud Shoodra (because I am doing farming)......

    By the way, I tried all the traits and found Shoodra trait is the best.

    DisAgree [7] Agree [18] Reply Report Abuse

  • abdul munim, UDUPI

    Fri, Dec 18 2020

    i feel you are MA without BA just like our chaiwala from Nagpur university.

    What lovely theory!!! but in practice? you bacchali internet soldiers are so sharp that even if you fall down will say that moogu mele

    DisAgree [18] Agree [13] Reply Report Abuse

  • Sinchan, Ullala

    Fri, Dec 18 2020

    What we can do,Some people are influenced by Nagpur

    DisAgree [7] Agree [7] Reply Report Abuse

  • RSRB, Kundapura

    Fri, Dec 18 2020

    abdul munim, UDUPI

    Thank you for your response Sir.

    Yes, as you rightly said, it is theory but not being practiced now a days. It is like road rules are there but still people still violate. But let us not try to prove violators are right....!!

    DisAgree Agree [6] Reply Report Abuse

  • Moshu, Mangaluru

    Fri, Dec 18 2020

    "The outcaste is a bye-product of the caste system. There will be outcastes as long as there are castes. Nothing can emancipate the outcaste except the destruction of the caste system".
    Quote: B R Ambedkar, Annihilation of Caste

    DisAgree [6] Agree [5] Reply Report Abuse

  • RSRB, Kundapura

    Fri, Dec 18 2020

    Moshu, Mangaluru

    Caste system is like departments in an administration.
    Say, in an organization, there is HR, Finance, Production, Maintenance, etc.... But all are respected departments.

    DisAgree [2] Agree [5] Reply Report Abuse

  • N S Bhat, Mangaluru

    Fri, Dec 18 2020

    Dear RSRB, Kundapura
    You are right and I appreciate your interest and involvement in farming.

    DisAgree [2] Agree [5] Reply Report Abuse

  • Jossey Saldanha, Mumbai

    Fri, Dec 18 2020

    Brahmins are also Humans ...

    DisAgree [4] Agree [20] Reply Report Abuse


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Title: Karnataka mulls to drop paras from text book that hurt sentiments of Brahmins



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