Chennai:
All major political parties in Tamil Nadu want a cartoon removed from a textbook being used in government schools.
Here are 10 big facts on this story:
The cartoon, by R K Laxman, is part of a textbook on Political Science for Class 12 students. The cartoon is part of a section on regionalism.
The cartoon deals with the anti-Hindi protests in 1965 when students fought against attempts to make Hindi the official language of the state because they worried this would make Tamils second-class citizens.
Politicians say it depicts students as ignorant and violent.
MDMK leader Vaiko had written to the centre complaining about the cartoon. The DMK, which is an ally of the UPA, has also asked for its removal. Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa has said projecting the state's anti-Hindi agitation as a violent movement is unacceptable. (Read Jayalalithaa's full statement)
Education Minister Kapil Sibal has said a committee will study the cartoon. That committee, headed by Professor Skhdeo Thorat, is already reviewing textbooks for Political and Social Science used by students from Class 9 to Class 12.
The committee was set up to identify "educationally inappropriate material"
It is expected to submit is report on Friday, June 15.
The cartoon controversy in Tamil Nadu follows an uproar in parliament over a cartoon by Shankar in another textbook. The cartoon was attacked for being disrespectful of BR Ambedkar.
Intellectuals and others argued that was not the case and that the cartoon was being misrepresented.
Teachers say that cartoons in textbooks can help students understand the topic and offer them some respite from heavy reading.
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