Lawyer challenges Deletion of Sentence in Social Science

An advocate has moved the Madras HC challenging the deletion of the sentence "the Hindu Mahasabha & the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) took a pronounced anti-Muslim stance" in the 10^th standard social science textbook. "The statements/versions appearing in the said text books is part of history & it cannot be re-written based upon some sentiments," S Doraisamy said.

He submitted that the school education department had issued a circular for 'hiding' the sentence in both the Tamil & English versions of the textbook & requested the court to quash the circular. Admitting the plea moved as a Public Interest Litigation (PIL), a division bench of Justices M Sathyanarayanan & R Hemalatha directed the department to file a counter affidavit by Mar 19 on how the syllabus is prescribed & appraised & the procedure to be adopted for deletion of certain portions in the textbooks.

The issue pertains to a plea moved by a petitioner before a single judge of the court, seeking deletion of the sentence from the English & Tamil versions of the textbook. During the course of hearing by the single judge, the govt pleader had submitted that the 'objectionable portion' in the textbooks have been ordered to be deleted by the competent authority.

Now, claiming that such history can't be deleted from books on mere sentiments of a group of people, the advocate wanted the bench to quash the circular. Opposing it, special government pleader C Munusamy contended that the issue has been analysed in detail & a 'conscious decision' has been taken by the department.

Recording the submissions, the bench directed the authorities concerned to file a detailed counter affidavit.

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