Tripura to withdraw textbook that tags BJP as 'communal party'

Tripura Board of Secondary Education president Amitava Debroy said they are going for a new syllabus

The Left Front government in Tripura has decided to withdraw the government school textbook in which the BJP was tagged as a "communal party", an official said here Wednesday.

The Bengali medium political science book for Class XI, in its chapter titled 'India's party system' said one of the important characteristics of India's party system is the existence of communal parties.

"Muslim League, Hindu Mahasabha and Shiv Sena are among such parties, besides the BJP. Parties like the BJP, though not based on religion, succeeded in capturing power through communalisation of politics," the textbook said.

"We are going for a new syllabus. We would not incorporate that textbook in the new syllabus. It was an unfortunate mistake," Tripura Board of Secondary Education (TBSE) president Amitava Debroy told IANS.

He said: "It was not our intention to malign any political party in the school curriculum. The matter was overlooked by us. However, now the issue is dead."

On Tuesday a delegation of Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) intellectual cell in Tripura led by its convenor Prasenjit Chakraborty met Debroy and were informed about the TBSE's decision.

"Debroy regretted about the unwanted remarks on the BJP, that are in no way acceptable. He assured that the TBSE shall remain careful that no such politically motivated issue is included in the new textbook that would soon be prepared for the students," Chakraborty told reporters.

The BJP in a letter sent to Chief Election Commissioner V.S. Sampath in March, alleged that the secondary level political science textbook had branded the party as communal to brainwash students.

"On the basis of that textbook authored by Nimai Pramanik, the authorities of Arundhuti Nagar Higher Secondary School recently asked the students to mention the names of the communal parties of the country. Students were asked to choose one among the four options. These are : 1) Congress, 2) CPI-M, 3) BJP and 4) BSP.

"According to the textbook the right answer is the BJP," Chakraborty said in his letter.

The Election Commission referred the matter to the Tripura government and the TBSE took the decision later.