History book row: SGPC pulls out of PSEB panel
AMRITSAR : The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) on Tuesday withdrew its representatives from the syllabus committee of the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB), claiming “distortions and mistakes” in the revised chapters of the history textbooks of Class 11 and 12.
On the gurdwara body’s demand, the state government in May had inducted noted Sikh scholars Balwant Singh Dhillon, a former professor at Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU), and Inderjit Singh Gogoani, principal of Khalsa College Senior Secondary School, Amritsar, as its representatives. The syllabus panel is headed by noted Sikh historian Kirpal Singh.
Interacting with mediapersons along with other SGPC office-bearers, gurdwara body president Gobind Singh Longowal said they have lodged a protest over it. “The state government is hatching a conspiracy to distort the Sikh history. Besides withdrawing our representation, we will also take legal action if PSEB does not correct mistakes in the chapters.”
“Earlier, the government removed the chapters on Sikh history in the Class 12 textbook. Now, it is trying the change the Sikh history. It should refrain from this,” he said.
Inderjit Singh Gogoani said, “The new syllabus will leave a negative impact on students as the manner in which the chapters are written does not give respect to the Sikh Gurus. Despite our having pointed out the mistakes, distortions and other language-related issues still remain.”
“I had also written a letter to panel head Kirpal Singh in this regard, but no corrections were made,” he added.
Following a controversy over the contents of several chapters early this year, the PSEB had withdrawn the history books on the recommendation of a sixmember committee. It was then decided that the entire syllabus will be changed for the 2019-2020 academic session with corrected mistakes. Few chapters of the books have been uploaded on the PSEB website.
GURDWARA BODY ALLEGES ‘DISTORTIONS AND MISTAKES’ IN REVISED CHAPTERS OF CLASSES 11 AND 12 HISTORY TEXTBOOKS