NEW DELHI, May 11:
A cartoon on B R Ambedkar, one of the pivot figures in the making of the Constitution, in NCERT text books today sparked a pandemonium in Parliament, forcing HRD Minister Kapil Sibal to apologise and declare that the “objectionable” caricatures were being withdrawn.
The controversy had a fall-out outside the House when Yogendra Yadav and Suhas Palshikar resigned as advisors of NCERT text book council.
Members of BSP, SP, RJD, AIADMK and CPI and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) created an uproar in both Houses of Parliament, demanding action against those responsible for the cartoon.
The turmoil led to two adjournments of the Lok Sabha before the final one for the day at around 2.10 PM. The Rajya Sabha also was also adjourned twice till 2.30 PM when Sibal made a statement.
Admitting that cartoon on Ambedkar in the textbook was “objectionable” as were many other such caricatures, he said he had already ordered their removal.
“The content is not appropriate…It is being withdrawn… This morning I called the NCERT Director and told him that there should be no further distribution of the books,” Sibal told the Rajya Sabha.
Responding to concerns expressed by members in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, Sibal said the Government will also examine whether any criminal offence was made out against those who drew or included Ambedkar’s cartoon in the textbook.
He said “concrete” steps are being taken to ensure that no such thing happens in the future.
Sources said the cartoon used in the class XI social science textbook ‘Indian Constitution at Work’ was actually sketched back in 1948 by Keshav Shankar Pillai, when the framing of the constitution was on, to show how the process was slow.
Noting that the cartoon was incorporated in the textbook, not by any official of the NCERT but by a committee of academics, Sibal said they would no more be associated with such work.
Outside Parliament, Sibal told reporters that he was “willing to personally apologise” although “I was not the minister at that time in 2006. I was not involved in the publication of the books.”
Yogendra Yadav and Suhas Palshikar resigned as advisors of NCERT text book council in the wake of the row over cartoon of Ambedkar in school text books.
“Yogendra Yadav who was the chief advisor of the Textbook Development Committee and Suhas Palshikar who was the member of the committee have resigned,” sources in HRD Ministry said.
Palshikar said he has quit the advisor council in the wake of the uproar in Parliament over the issue.
Sources in NCERT said they were already in the process of constitution of a new committee.
Sibal said none of the existing members of the present Textbook Committee, which had approved the book, will be part of the new Committee set up to examine objectionable caricatures. (PTI)
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