Education policy of 1986 unchanged: Joshi

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, SEPT. 6. Refuting the charge of saffronisation of education, the Union Human Resource Development Minister, Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi, on Thursday blamed the communist parties for carrying out false propaganda, and challenged the Chief Ministers to find out a single word which went against the education policy of 1986.

To a question from Dr. Jafar Nizam, former Vice- Chancellor of Kakatiya University, at a conference on ``the education policy of the Government of India,'' here, Dr. Joshi said no attempt was made to tinker with this policy. ``Not a word, not a sentence, not a para and not a concept has gone beyond it and I challenge anyone to disprove it.''

He said the hue and cry was perhaps over the curriculum framework document, where too the objective was on inclusion of subjects such as the equality of all religions, inculcating values such as respecting elders and teachers, listing out the fundamental duties of the citizen etc.

``No one would object to inclusion of these things. But a campaign is being carried out basically because I am planning to introduce them. Is it wrong to inculcate these principles? Is it wrong to talk about the contribution of Bahadur Shah Zafar, Bhagat Singh and Chandrashekar Azad to the freedom struggle? Does history mean reading about one family only? Should not the history of the northeast be read by people in Rajasthan?''

The document was an open one and anyone could get it from his office, the NCERT Chairman or download it from the Ministry website and offer his comments. ``If there is anything objectionable, I will change it.'' A campaign was going on that he and the BJP-led NDA Government were against minorities. ``In my Ministry, you will find several Muslim and Christian officials. Ask them if I have ever shown any discrimination?''

Mr. Khan Lateef Mohammed Khan, president of the Federation of AP Minority Educational Institutions (FAPMEI), which organised the conference, asked why the minorities had misconceptions about the RSS and why it was looked upon as ``something of a Dracula''. Dr. Joshi smiled and said, `it is created by some politicians.''

If he did not believe in separate facilities for the minorities, why did the BJP have a minority cell and why was the Minority Commission being continued?

The Minister shot back: ``It is the legacy of the previous Governments. I still do not believe in it. But if I scrap it, I will be accused of promoting Hindu Raj.''

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