Academics in cartoon hitback - ‘House enacting comedy of the Absurd’

Academics in cartoon hitback - ‘House enacting comedy of the Absurd’

New Delhi, May 14: Two academics responsible for clearing a Class XI textbook that created a furore over a “derogatory” cartoon of B.R. Ambedkar today accused parliamentarians of blowing up a non-issue and presenting a “comedy of the absurd”.

Professor Mrinal Miri, who jointly headed the national monitoring committee with professor G.P. Deshpande to vet NCERT textbooks, said all the cartoons, including the one on Ambedkar, were scrutinised and found “suitable for publication”.

“Cartoons are an accepted style of communication. There is nothing wrong in putting cartoons in textbooks. But cartoons must not have caste, racial or religious overtones. The national monitoring committee has examined each and every cartoon in the textbooks. The committee, comprising distinguished members, did not find any problem with any of the cartoons,” Miri told The Telegraph.

Miri said cartoons were a “healthy addition” to the textbooks. “They carry a bit of humour and present aspects of reality. But the parliamentarians have created a big issue out of a non-issue. What they have done is a comedy of absurd.”

He said each book had been prepared by a group of independent experts, according to the guidelines laid down by the National Curriculum Framework (NCF), a document prepared by a group of academics headed by former UGC chairman Yashpal.

The Class XI political science textbook, Indian Constitution At Work, had on Friday created a furore in both Houses of Parliament because of the 60-year-old cartoon, showing Jawaharlal Nehru whipping Ambedkar to hurry up with preparing the Indian Constitution.

A Class IX textbook, Democratic Politics-I, too had attracted criticism because of cartoons about politicians.

Deshpande said none of the cartoons in the textbooks was objectionable and even Ambedkar, one of the founding fathers of the Indian Constitution, had not objected to it.

“I fail to see how it (the cartoon) is disrespectful to Ambedkar. When he was alive, Ambedkar did not find the cartoon derogatory. The book is in circulation for over five years. Nobody bothered about it. The recent protest by parliamentarians is uncalled for,” Deshpande said.

The professor said he was surprised by the government’s prompt decision to remove the cartoon from the book.

“The government acted very fast. In a democratic society, you need to discuss and take a decision. The national monitoring committee should have been consulted before taking the decision. The government should have waited for another month and taken a decision.”

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) in 2005 decided to change the textbooks to make reading joyful and effective. The NCF provides for a broad framework on how to make the textbooks interesting.

Yashpal said parliamentarians were “overreacting” and not setting a very good example. “The social science and political science books are the best books ever written in India for schoolchildren. These books present history and social science in an alive manner through examples, cartoons, tables etc. The parliamentarians are overreacting,” he said.

I fully agree with the academicians that the reaction was a weak-kneed response from a weak UPA government led by a weak prime minister who sees a ghost everywhere, even when there is none.

A cartoon which is more than 60 years old is objected by people who hardly know the meaning of cartoons.A cartoon which even the original actors in the cartoon did not find offensive.

More loyal than the king is an apt phrase which comes to mind.

But that has been the usual response of the congress.

Even before the Muslims object to anything the congress party takes proactive action, not to offend them. Bending over backwards is what we call it.

In the Shah Bano case Rajiv Gandhi changed the constitution to nullify the verdict of the Supreme Court although a Muslim cabinet minister had objected to Rajiv's action and resigned subsequently.