Vedic Foundation Calls For Support Letters On California Textbook Issue

[Guest guest]

Abhijit Bagal <Srikrshnah> wrote:

 

thevedicfoundation.org

 

AUSTIN, TEXAS, December 17, 2005: The Vedic Foundation

issued the following press release:

 

Dear Hindu Community Members:

 

At the request of some individuals we are forwarding

the below sample letter that can put on your

letterhead and e-mail or faxed to all of the

individuals on the attached contact list. Please note

that the email for Alan Bersin has been updated and

some additional names have been added to the list.

 

Please feel free to modify this letter in any way you

wish or write your own. It is only meant to serve as a

template. According to feedback received from one of

the Commissioners at last week's meeting, it is not

necessary for each letter to have a different message.

A few weeks ago there was a letter posted on a users

group. More than 100 people forwarded the same letter

to the Curriculum Commissioner. This made a big

impression on her.

 

Please keep up your efforts and forward this message

to all of your contacts so that on Monday morning the

recipient's e-mail boxes and faxes will be flooded

with messages of support from the Hindu community in

favor of making the corrections to the textbooks. This

will make a strong statement to the State Board of

Education Members who are the final decision makers.

 

Your continued support is crucial to the success of

everyone's efforts.

 

Regards,

 

Janeshwari Devi

The Vedic Foundation

Austin, TX

(512) 288-7180

 

Suggested letter:

 

State Board of Education

1430 N Street, Room 5111

Sacramento, CA 95814

 

RE: The Edits and Corrections relating to

Hinduism/India in 6th Grade Textbooks

 

Dear President Green and the Members of the State

Board of Education;

Alan Bersin, California Secretary of Education

Karen Steentofte, Counsel for State Board of Education

Assemblywoman Jackie Goldberg

Dr. Deborah Keys, Vice Chair, Curric ulum Commission

 

I am writing to express my concern about the unfair

and improper handling of the edits and corrections of

the Hindu community during 2005 History-Social Science

adoption process. The edits and corrections submitted

by the Vedic Foundation and Hindu Education Foundation

have been approved by:

 

1) Content Review Expert, Professor Shiva Bajpai in

October, 2005

2) Ad-Hoc committee on October 31, 2005

3) Curriculum Commission on December 2, 2005

 

Textbooks describe the sacred writings of other

religions as 'historical accounts' and their

personalities as 'historical figures,' but

irreverently describe the form of God in Hinduism,

Lord Rama and Sita as 'characters' of the 'fictional

story' Ramayana; Goddess Durga and Kali as 'extremely

terrible and bloodthirsty;' the Vedas and other Hindu

scriptures as songs, poems, myths, and legends. Also,

the textbooks use 'God' in the discussion of other

religions, but use 'god or godde ss' with a small 'g'

to describe the forms of God in Hinduism and wrongly

teach our kids that Hindus believe in 'many gods.'

 

The approved and the concurring edits remove such

derogatory and prejudical language and achieve a

balanced and respectful presentation of Hinduism

similar to the treatment of other world religions.

 

The approved changes also introduce both sides of the

Aryan Invasion/Migration historical debate by

incorporating the language, "The Aryan invasion theory

has been contradicted by scholarly evidence.. ." and

introduce the words, "Some historians believe..." in

their discussion of the Aryan Invasion/Migration

theory.

 

Please give urgent consideration to this matter of

utmost importance to myself, all Hindu youth and the

Hindu community. We urge you, the Board Members, to

approve the decision of the Curriculum Commission to

correct the inaccurate and defamatory portrayal of

Hinduism/India from all of the adopted textbooks so

that thousands of Hindu students are not subjected to

the detrimental effects of a denigrating and

demoralizing education.

 

Sincerely,

 

Contacts to Send Correspondence in Support of

California Textbook Reform:

 

Secretary Alan Bersin; California Secretary of

Education; kheinrich@o...; Fax: (916) 323-3753

 

Karen Steentofte; Chief Counsel, California State

Board of Education; ksteento@c...; Fax: (916)

319-0176

 

President Ruth Green and Board Members, California

State Board of Educat ion

1430 N Street, Room 5111, Sacramento, California 95814

 

Phone: (916) 319-0827. Fax: (916) 319-0176. Email not

available.

 

Members, State Board of Education

Phone: (916) 319-0827. Fax: (916) 319-0176. Email not

available.

 

Sue Stickel; Deputy Superintendent, Curriculum &

Instruction Branch, California Department of

Education; sstickel@c...; Phone: (916) 319-0806.

Fax: (916) 319-0103

 

Assemblymember Jackie Goldberg; Chair of the Education

Committee

http://democrats.assembly.ca.gov/members/a45/;

Assemblymember.Goldberg@a...; Fax: (916)

319-2145

 

Dr. Norma Baker, Ed.D.; Chair, Curriculum Commission;

norma.baker@l...

 

Dr. Deborah Keys, Ed.D.; Vice Chair, Curriculum

Commission; DeborahKeys@c...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

--- End forwarded message ---