Delete "anti-land reform" portion from ICSE texbook: VS

Updated on: Tuesday, July 26, 2011

CPI(M) veteran and Kerala Opposition leader V S Achuthanandan asked Union Human Resources Development Ministry to delete certain portions in the seventh class Malayalam textbook of ICSE which 'ran down'
land reforms initiated by Communist governments in Kerala.

Achuthanandan dubbed as "historically incorrect" excerpts taken from the memoirs of veteran journalist T J S George, referring to the life of Joseph Murikkan, who turned vast expanses of waterlogged areas in Kuttanad into rice fields.

George's contention that credit for introducing backwater paddy cultivation in Kuttanad area should go to Murikkan was not based on facts. It was the result of the sweat and blood of thousands of farm workers, he said.

Moreover, the particular portion included in the textbook not only glorified feudalism, but mounted a strong criticism of land reform legislations and Communist leader late E M S Namboodiripad, who pioneered them as Chief Minister, he said.

"As a writer and journalist, George has every right to express his views. But the contents in any textbook should be historically correct and undisputable", he said.

Achuthanandan said George's work titled "Ghoshayathra", from which the portion pertaining to Murikkan was taken, was a widely read and appreciated book. Some parts in it deserved to be included in textbooks for school children to study.

He wanted the HRD Ministry to inquire into the matter and take steps to delete the controversial portion.

Delete "anti-land reform" portion from ICSE texbook: VS

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