Chennai:
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa has joined other political party leaders from the state in demanding the removal of a cartoon from a Class 12 NCERT Political Science textbook.
In a chapter on 'Regionalism' in the book, a cartoon by RK Laxman depicted a student pelting stones. This is being seen by political parties in Tamil Nadu as an insinuation that the 1965 anti-Hindi agitation was violent.
"I strongly condemn this", the Chief Minister has said in a statement. The AIADMK leader adds that the cartoon is "insulting, demeaning to followers of Periyar and Anna and hurts the sentiments of Tamil people". She has also said that the "Dravidian movement can be best explained through photographs instead of cartoons."
Quoting the late CN Annadurai, former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and Dravidian leader, Ms Jayalalithaa said "the quality of Tamils is not to be below anyone or to lower anyone."
Here's the full text of J Jayalalithaa's statement: In 1965, when the Central Government announced that the Hindi language alone would be the administrative language of the Government, the non Hindi states opposed this and the Dravidian movement conducted huge agitations. Following this, an assurance was given that both English and Hindi would be the official naguest of the Central Government. But the National Council of Educational Research and Training in the their 12th Standard, Political Science text book has published a cartoon in the chapter under Regional Implication, under Dravidian Movement, which is insulting. Also it demeans leaders like Periyar, Anna and other leaders. Though it was published earlier in the Hindu Daily newspaper., this has now been published totally in different context and hurts the sentiments of the Tamil people, I strongly register my condemnation for this.
If you need to explain about Dravidian Movement, then photographs could be the best instrument, not a cartoon that portrays as though a reassurance had been given to the Tamil students that Hindi was not compulsory, but that assurance was in English andsomeone saying that the Tamil students did not know English also. This also gives an impression as if the anti Hindi students indulged in violence.
I point out the words of Anna: "Tamils' quality is not to be below anyone and not to lower anyone" and firmly request the Central Government to remove the cartoon published by the NCERT in the 12th std. Political Science text book that hurts the minds of the Tamil people. I firmly request that this be removed immediately.