Skip to main content

Adivasis "don't exist" in Gujarati textbooks, one of these "show" American flag and white judge in apex court

Gaurang Jani and Hemant Shah
In a stark revelation, the word “adivasi” (tribal) does not find mention in any of the Gujarati language textbooks, ranging from classes 5th to 12th. Speaking on the state of textbooks being taught in Gujarat schools, Gaurang Jani, professor of sociology, Gujarat University, said that there are 15% tribals in Gujarat, and their children would naturally feel alienated as a result of this type of discrimination.
“A child studying in the predominantly tribal district of Dahod does not identify herself or himself with the textbooks she or he reads. Yet, the child is made to compete with those who study in a posh Ahmedabad locality of Navrangpura. Is this an equal competition?”, he wondered.
Jani was speaking at a convention in Ahmedabad on inclusive education organized by the Jan Adhikar Manch, an umbrella organization of several grassroots organizations in Gujarat.
Seeking total overhaul of all Gujarat textbooks, Jani further disclosed that in the social science textbook of the 6th standard, which has a chapter on courts, photographs show white men as judges of lower courts, high courts, and the Supreme Court. “Worse”, he added, “The Supreme Court photograph carries an American flag.”
Suggesting that he gave these two examples to showcase the type of education Gujarat’s children are being offered in the state, Jani said, “What is equally shocking is, the very concept of having a caring nature towards the deprived is being erased from schools.”
“Thus”, he said, “The well-known poem by Narsinh Mehta ‘Vaishnav jan to tene re kahiye’ (a favourite of Mahatma Gandhi), which seeks to suggest that the ideal human being is one who cares for the poor, was first removed both from the textbooks and prayers of the primary school, then from the secondary school, and finally from the higher secondary school.”
“In the B Ed classes, the future teachers are not taught anything about social stratification from which the Indian society suffers. As a result, the teachers who come out have little knowledge of how to make children aware about social oppression”, Jani said, adding, “One thing they are invariably taught is, there should be an hour long prayer in schools ahead of teaching. The result is: there is a sharp rise in religious obscurantism among teachers.”
Speaking at the convention, another academic, Prof Hemant Shah, who teaches economics in a Gujarat University college, said, according to his calculation, a large majority of children of the 15.83 lakh admitted in 2007-08 in the first standard, progressively dropped out, despite the big talk of negligible dropout rate.
“This year, 10.8 lakh children of those admitted a decade ago took board examination in the tenth standard. It means that five lakh children dropped out at the secondary level. A further investigation revealed that just 5.3 lakh children appeared in the higher secondary examination last year. Of these, if one considers 70% result, those who are able to go to college would be just around 4.5 lakh lakh”, he said.
He added, “Consider this: A decade ago, 4 lakh children were admitted in colleges in Gujarat, suggesting there is little change despite rise in population.”
Results of a study on discrimination in education system by NGO Janvikas, released at the convention, suggested that 50% of the respondents confirmed that “children from minority community are advised by teachers to take admission in their religious school.”
Taking a view from 131 respondents, all of whom happen to be community level volunteers, the study further revealed that 20% found teachers call students by caste not by name, 21% found that teachers use derogatory words for minorities, 32% found that midday meal is given in plates with numbers written on them, so that the plates meant for dominant caste people do not go to Dalits, and in 14% cases, it was found, Hindu and Muslim students are asked to sit separately.

Comments

TRENDING

When Pakistanis whispered: ‘end military rule’ — A Moscow memoir

During the recent anti-terror operation inside Pakistan by the Government of India, called Operation Sindoor — a name some feminists consider patently patriarchal, even though it’s officially described as a tribute to the wives of the 26 husbands killed in the terrorist strike — I was reminded of my Moscow stint, which lasted for seven long years, from 1986 to 1993.

A sector under siege? War and real estate: Navigating uncertainty in India's expanding market

I was a little surprised when I received an email alert from a top real estate consultant, Anarock Group , titled "Exploring War’s Effects on Indian Real Estate—When Conflict Meets Concrete," authored by its regional director and head of research, Dr. Prashant Thakur. I had thought that the business would wholeheartedly support what is considered a strong response to the dastardly terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Operation Sindoor. 

Tracking a lost link: Soviet-era legacy of Gujarati translator Atul Sawani

The other day, I received a message from a well-known activist, Raju Dipti, who runs an NGO called Jeevan Teerth in Koba village, near Gujarat’s capital, Gandhinagar. He was seeking the contact information of Atul Sawani, a translator of Russian books—mainly political and economic—into Gujarati for Progress Publishers during the Soviet era. He wanted to collect and hand over scanned soft copies, or if possible, hard copies, of Soviet books translated into Gujarati to Arvind Gupta, who currently lives in Pune and is undertaking the herculean task of collecting and making public soft copies of Soviet books that are no longer available in the market, both in English and Indian languages.

A conman, a demolition man: How 'prominent' scribes are defending Pritish Nandy

How to defend Pritish Nandy? That’s the big question some of his so-called fans seem to ponder, especially amidst sharp criticism of his alleged insensitivity during his journalistic career. One such incident involved the theft and publication of the birth certificate of Masaba Gupta, daughter of actor Neena Gupta, in the Illustrated Weekly of India, which Nandy was editing at the time. He reportedly did this to uncover the identity of Masaba’s father.

Ahmedabad's civic chaos: Drainage woes, waterlogging, and the illusion of Olympic dreams

In response to my blog on overflowing gutter lines at several spots in Ahmedabad's Vejalpur, a heavily populated area, a close acquaintance informed me that it's not just the middle-class housing societies that are affected by the nuisance. Preeti Das, who lives in a posh locality in what is fashionably called the SoBo area, tells me, "Things are worse in our society, Applewood."

Environmental concern? Global NGO leads campaign urging banks to cut ties with Odisha steel project

A decade after the withdrawal of the South Korean multinational POSCO from Odisha following large-scale protests, questions remain about whether India-based JSW Steel, which took over the project, can successfully revive the 13.2 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) steel plant and coal-fired power plant. POSCO initiated the project in 2005 but exited in 2017 due to sustained local opposition.

Adani Group a key player in Indo-Israel defence cooperation: Tel Aviv daily

Said to be one of the most influential Israeli dailies, "Haaretz" (literally: News of the Land) has identified the Adani Group—known to be close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi—as one of the key Indian business houses engaged in defence cooperation with Israel. Pointing out that India supplied the Israeli military with Hermes 900 drones, the daily reported that this advanced aerial vehicle came off “the production line in a factory set up in Hyderabad, as part of the cooperation between the Israeli Elbit and India's Adani Group.”

Beyond Indus water treaty suspension: A 'nationalist' push despite harsh climate realities

The suspension of the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) appears to have pushed the middle classes, at least in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state, Gujarat, further towards what the powers-that-be would consider—a "positive" direction. As usual, during my morning walk, I tried talking with a neighbour about what impact it would have. Ignoring what is widely considered a "security lapse," this person, who had just returned after buying milk, compared the Modi move with Trump.

Despite Hindutva hold claim, 18% Hindus in US don't want to be identified with Hinduism!

Scanning through news items on the Google News app on my mobile — which is what I do almost every morning — I came across a story published on India.com, which I found somewhat misleading. The headline said, "Muslim population drops significantly in THIS country as over 25% Muslims leave Islam due to…, the country is…"