State agrees to review curriculum, cannot guarantee its result

MUMBAI:THE state on Wednesday said that it would ask a 13-member expert committee to review the curriculum after the Bombay high court (HC) reserved its orders in the petition for removal of the word ‘terrorist’ used in the Class 9 History textbook to describe Sikh leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale’s role in Operation Blue Star.

The Operation was conducted by the Indian government in 1984 to quell the Khalistan movement.

The petitioner argued that Bhindranwale was considered a saint by the community and hence, using the word terrorist hurt their sentiments. The state told the court that the curriculum was verified by a 13-member committee and would ask them to review it, but gave no assurance of the word being removed.

The petition filed by advocate Amritpal Singh Khalsa was being heard by the bench of justices SC Dharmadhikari and Bharati Dangare, wherein advocate Mathews Nedumpara, appearing for Khalsa, told the bench that the textbook, published by the Maharashtra State Bureau of Textbooks, was offensive.

He said while Bhindranwale was killed in Operation Blue Star, terming him as a terrorist was “shocking” and “unacceptable” to the Sikh community.

Elaborating on Bhindranwale’s status in the community, Nedumpara said he was considered a saint and many places of worship had been constructed in his name after he was martyred.

He said while the legitimacy of the Khalistan Movement and Operation Blue Star was debatable, the petition only asked for removal of the word as thousands of Sikhs were his followers.

Appearing for the state, senior advocate VA Thorat told the bench that the curriculum was prepared by an expert committee and they reviewed the content regularly. The state would ask them to look into the demands of the petitioner, but did not guarantee results sought by them.

The bench said that arguments were concluded and it would pass orders soon.