India's Government Strikes Mention of Beef Eaters

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India's Government Strikes Mention of Beef Eaters From New History B

Posted by: "swamijyoti" swamijyoti (AT) vivekanandagospel (DOT) org

vivekajyoti

Fri Jun 16, 2006 6:14 pm (PST)

 

 

India's Government Strikes Mention of

Beef Eaters From New History Books on Ancient India

epaper.timesofindia.com

http://www.hinduismtoday.com/#1

 

NEW DELHI, INDIA, June 12, 2006: (HPI note: The irony of this NCERT

action

is that the previous BJP government met with vigorous opposition

from the

now ruling Congress party and allies when it attempted to make the

same

change, considered an affront to Hinduism, in the text books.)

 

References to ancient India's beef-eaters have been done away with in

NCERT's newly-introduced history textbooks. NCERT, National Council

of

Educational Research and Training, is the national commission

responsible

for the textbooks in India's schools. NCERT changed the syllabus for

Classes

I, III, VI, IX and XI from this year in accordance with the national

curriculum framework (NCF) 2005, to prescribe broad guidelines for

an ideal

course curriculum. Till last year, Class VI and XI textbooks had

references

to beef-eating habits. "These references were there in ancient Indian

history books for Classes VI and IX till last year. Those textbooks

have

been replaced and the new ones have no mention of beef-eating," NCERT

spokesman Ashish Bahad said. The reference had raised objections from

several quarters last year and a Public Interest Litigation was

filed in the

Supreme Court. NCERT had also formed a three-member expert committee

to look

into the matter. "Following the NCF 2005, NCERT developed new history

textbooks that attempt to arouse the curiosity of schoolchildren.

The books

encourage students to find out historical facts on their own," Bahad

added.