Falgun Shuddha Panchami
Congratulations to pro-Hindu Himachal Pradesh Government! All state governments & Central Govt. should also follow the path of Himachal Pradesh Govt.
Shimla (Himachal Pradesh): In a move that may ruffle feathers, the BJP government in Himachal Pradesh has decided to remove a chapter on noted painter M F Hussain from an NCERT book, claiming his work has "nothing to inspire students".
"Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education has decided to remove chapter on MF Hussain from standard XI Hindi book prescribed by the NCERT," Board chairman C L Gupta told PTI.
Gupta said instead of chapter on Hussain "which has nothing to inspire the students," the Board is considering including a chapter on painter Sobha Singh and ‘Missile Man’ and former President APJ Abdul Kalam from next academic session.
He said the decision in this regard has been taken on the recommendation of a committee constituted by the Board.
Gupta, who has been accused by the opposition Congress of having ‘saffron leanings’, said he himself perused the works of Hussain, including his controversial paintings of Hindu deities.
Defending the Board’s decision to make change in the NCERT book, Gupta said every state has a right to change 25 per cent of the content of NCERT books as per their local needs.
He wondered why the chapter on Hussain was incorporated in the NCERT book three years back.
Sobha Singh, on whom a chapter may be introduced, had painted portraits of Sikh Gurus, including Guru Nanak. An art gallery has been named the painter’s honour in Andrata village, about 12 km from Palampur in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh.
Born in 1901, Sobha Singh was conferred with Padam Shree award in 1983. Documentaries had been made about the artist, including one by BBC.
The chapter on Sobha Singh and Kalam would be more relevant for students, the HPBSE chairman said.
Source: The Hindu
