Removal of ‘anti-Church’ contents in text book recommended

(June 28, 2011) A panel set up to look into the complaint about “anti-church” references in a 10th standard text book in Kerala has recommended removal of controversial portions. The two-member panel constituted by the state government said the controversial portions hurt religious sentiments of the believers. The panel, comprising former additional chief secretary D. Babu Paul and historian Raimon, however, discounted the church’s allegation that the inclusion of such anti-religious contents was the result of a deliberate Marxist plot to run down the church. “There are some factual errors and objectionable contents in the textbook. We have submitted our suggestions and it is for the government to take action on them,” said Raimon. After studying the chapter titled “the dawn of modern era” dealing with the Renaissance, which deeply influenced the history of Europe since the 14th century, the panel found that it contained factual errors resulting from approaching history from purely Marxist perspective. The Catholic Church in the state had objected to the contents in the book, alleging it contained “grossly baseless anti-church contents” and “propagated Marxist political ideology.”