Don’t turn history into politics: Joshi tells Opposition

Lashing out at the Left and Congress-controlled state governments for opposing the NCERT’s new books and national curriculum framework,...

Lashing out at the Left and Congress-controlled state governments for opposing the NCERT’s new books and national curriculum framework, the Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Murli Manohar Joshi today said the Opposition was using the education and future of school children ‘‘to forge an unholy alliance for political gains

‘‘Congressmen are falling into the trap of the shrewd Marxists. Opposition to the NCERT’s (new) syllabus was initiated by the Left because the writers (of the old NCERT books) fall within their company. No book in any country continues for 25 years,’’ Joshi said, hitting out at his critics.

Joshi’s outburst came three days after education ministers from the states run by the Congress and Left staged a walk-out from the general body meeting called by the NCERT, where the HRD Minister had said the re-constitution of the Central Advisory Board of Education, a long standing demand of the opposition states, was entirely the Centre’s prerogative.

About the Left Front government in West Bengal, Joshi said: ‘‘They have introduced elements in their history syllabus and textbooks without consulting us. By their logic, education is a concurrent subject and they should have consulted us. Did they refer it to Parliament?’’