Learn to Write Communist Slogans in Kerala Classrooms!

The controversy raging in Kerala about ‘Communistisation’ of text books is centred on the Social Studies text book of 7^th standard. But the Malayalam text book for the same standard is no different.

The Malayalam text book does not have even a single mention about Thunchath Ramanujan Ezhuttachan who is considered as the father of Malayalam language. The modern renaissance poets of Kerala, Kumaran Asan, Vallathol and Ulloor have also no place in the Malayalam text book. The pictures, poems and stories idealizing the workers and farm labourers occupy the major portion of the book.

There is no Malayalee in the world who cannot recite at least two lines of Changapuzha Kavitakal. The romantic beauty and grandeur of his poems are such. But the committee who prepared the text book doesn’t see any merit in these lines but they have included a few lines from an obscure poem of him which idealizes the farm labourers. A poem of communist poet Thirunallur Karunakaran on farm labourers is also given.  At the end of the poem in the activity section, the text also asks the students to prepare slogans.

If anybody thinks that Malayalam text books are meant to enhance the knowledge of the language and literature of Malayalam, then they are living in fool’s paradise according to the Education department.

Whatever may be the subject, it should advance the communist ideology, so thinks the education department.

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