HINDUS CLAIM WIN IN CALIFORNIA TEXTBOOKS CASE OVER PORTRAYAL OF HINDUISM

WASHINGTON: Hindu American groups on Saturday said they have won a “significant victory” in California state, as education officials acceded to their over decade-long efforts for an “accurate, equitable, and culturally competent portrayal” of Hinduism and India in school textbooks.

At its final hearing late this week, the California Education Department’s State Board of Education (SBE) “voted unanimously” to approve positive edits submitted by Hindu American community groups to improve the portrayal of Hinduism and India in as many as 10 textbooks.

The board also “voted to reject” two textbook programmes from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (Grades K-6 and Grades 6-8) for adversely reflecting on Hinduism and other diverse communities, according to a media release. “This is truly historic. After many years of civic engagement, Hindu-Americans have started to make themselves heard,” said Shantharam Nekkar of Hindu Education Foundation USA, an organisation dedicated to enriching the understanding of Indian civilization and Hinduism in America. “We will continue to engage constructively and fight biases and prejudices against Hinduism and India,” he said.

The decision taken by California’s State Board of Education can be implemented only in the state of California, but it sets the trend for the rest of the US as a majority of other states either follow the guidelines and textbooks approved by them or are influenced by their syllabus.