Damdami Taksal seeks removal of ‘terrorist’ tag on Bhindranwale in Maharashtra school textbook

AMRITSAR: Taking strong exception to description of militant preacher Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale as a “terrorist” in the history textbook of Class 9 in Maharashtra, the Damdami Taksal has written to the Devendra Fadnavis government seeking removal of the “misleading” tag.

Damdami Taksal is a Sikh seminary, which was headed by Bhindranwale before he was killed in the Operation Bluestar conducted by the army in June 1984 at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, where several militants were holed up.

In a letter to chief minister Fadnavis, Taksal chief Harnam Singh Dhumma said, “We have received complaints along with the copies of the extract from the ‘History & Political Science’ textbook of class IX on Page number 6 and 10 in which your department has mentioned Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Khalsa Bhindranwale as a terrorist.”

Seeking a ‘clarification” in this regard from the chief minister, the letter says, “We request your good self to interfere in this sensitive issue so that this matter is brought to a righteous (sic) end at the earliest.”

The Taksal has also written similar letters to Maharashtra education minister Vinod Tawde and director of the Maharashtra State Bureau of Text Book Production and Curriculum Research, Pune, Sunil Magar, drawing their attention to the matter.

“We strongly condemn this wanton and irresponsible act by your department for disseminating sensitive information to impressionable minds of school students that would put the Sikh community in poor light and spread hatred specifically against the Sikh students in Maharashtra,” the letter reads.

Dhumma also sought to know “the source of information, which could be considered as reliable enough and verified by your department, on the basis of which this sensitive information is included in the Class IX syllabus.”

In a media release wherein he attached copies of his letters to Maharashta chief minister and the education minister, Dhumma said the Damdami Taksal has demanded a written reply from them within 15 days of the receipt of this letter, besides withdrawal of “objectionable material” and stop its further circulation

Dhumma added, “If they fail to provide the required information on time, we will be compelled to take the matter to the court.”

He said the Damdami Taksal has also constituted a committee of Maharashtra-based Sikh leaders to take up the case with the state government on a priority basis.

SIKH SEMINARY CHIEF WRITES TO THE FADNAVIS GOVERNMENT, THREATENING TO TAKE THE MATTER TO COURT IF IT DOES NOT RESPOND WITHIN 15 DAYS OF RECEIVING HIS LETTER