Kolkata, 6 April: Higher secondary students in
State-run schools in Mamata Banerjee’s West Bengal may no longer have to
study subjects such as the works of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels –
founders of Marxism – and the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917.
A
school education syllabus committee, appointed by the Mamata
Banerjee-led West Bengal government, to overhaul the decades-old school
education syllabus in the State has prepared a final draft of new
syllabus excluding the topics in the history textbooks in which Marx,
Engels and Bolsheviks will make way for democratic movements across the
post-Cold War world.
Even though the proposed change comes within a year of the Trinamool
Congress’ (TMC) victory against the CPI(M)-led Left Front in state
elections who ruled the state for over three decades, the committee has
vehemently denied a political link.
“It is a complete misconception that we are doing away with Marxist
movements or communism from history. In our recommendations, we have
only suggested to include democratic movements, invasions by various
explorers and the 20th century history.
“We have brought in Latin America, China as well as various movements
in India. Also, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have been included keeping in
mind their significance in the post 1947 era,” Avik Mazumdar, chairman
of the reform committee was quoted as saying.
However, he added that the the existing history textbooks stressed on
a particular ideology and said that the committee, that will submit its
recommendations next week, has tried to have a balanced approach on the
history syllabus.
“It (existing History syllabus) highlighted only the communist
movements. We have omitted Russian revolution, but kept Lenin and the
Chinese revolution in the syllabus. If we had any intention to leave out
communisms, then why did we include Chinese revolution, Lenin?
“It is unfair if the children are only taught about these theories
and they do not have any understanding of Green Revolution, Chipko
movement or Nelson Mandela,” Avik Mazumdar told a newspaper.
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