Compromise In California Textbook Row

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Title: In California textbooks row, a win-win situation, apparently Date: March 24, 2006 Publication: India Abroad Author: Mozumder, Suman Guha India Abroad 03-24-2006 With the state board finally endorsing a mixed bag of changes to representation of history, both right and left groups claim victory The six-month-old battle between rival groups over changes in Gade VI history and social science textbooks in California ended last week with the State Board of Education deciding to endorse the recommendations of a special sub-committee on the issue. On March 8, the Board voted 9-0 to endorse the February 27 recommendations of the subcommittee which, in an admittedly compromise decision, had requested the board to adopt the changes on the portrayal of ancient Hinduism in the textbooks. Ironically, both sides - the Hindu Education Foundation and the Vedic Foundation that spearheaded the campaign against what they had described as distortions and defamatory references to ancient Hinduism in the text books, and the Friends of South Asia, the Federation of Tamil Sangams of North America and the Coalition Against Communalism that had opposed the edits or changes proposed by the likes of HEF and VF on grounds that they were motivated by the sectarian agenda of fundamentalist Hindu forces claimed victory of sorts over the board endorsement. 'On behalf of Hindu community, we were able to correct a large number of distortions and inaccuracies,' said Khanderao Kand, a spokesperson of the HEF after the board endorsed the recommendations. On the other hand, Anu Mandavilli, a volunteer with the Friends of South Asia (FOSA), termed the SBE decision 'a clear victory' for South Asian community groups. 'Having failed to muster scholarly support, the HAF threatened to sue the board if it didn't revert to the Curriculum Commission's recommendations of December 2, 2005. The Board's 9-0 vote to

reject the December 2 proposals of the commission and approve the February 27 recommendations is a clear message to these groups: Don't mess with history,' Mandavilli said in a statement. At the center of the controversy that began in September 2005 were an estimated 160-odd revisions, or 'edits' as they are called, proposed by groups like the HEF and VF that have spearheaded the campaign to correct "distortions and defamatory references" to ancient Hinduism in the history textbooks. Last year, these two groups in addition to many other individuals sent their proposed changes to the Curriculum Commission, an advisory body to the State Education Board that looks at books every six years and calls for suggestions for improvement from the members of the public. The process was almost nearing completion in November last year after an ad-hoc committee set up by the commission due to the large volumes of edits suggested approved many of the edits. Just before they were supposed to be sent to the Board, Professor Michael Witzel, Wales Professor of Sanskrit in the Department of Sanskrit and Indian Studies in Harvard University and others including noted historian Stanley Wolpert wrote to the Board protesting the changes. They said that the nature of the revisions as approved by the ad-hoc committee were prompted more by the Hindu groups' 'hidden agenda' than historical facts. Over 100 other academics of Indian origin from different educational institutions in the US also wrote a similar letter to the board. Consequently, Witzel, Wolpert and a third academic were retained by the Board and the commission was asked to revisit the changes approved by the committee. Some of the edits with which the Witzel panel disagreed with the committee action related to women's position in ancient India. For example, the committee approved an edit that said 'men had different duties (dharma) as well as rights than women. Many women were among the sages to whom the Vedas were revealed' to replace the current statement in the textbooks with

'men had many more rights than women.' The panel disapproved of the committee approval of the change and asked to retain the original. In December the commission in an about turn in the face of pressure from groups like HEF and VF and individuals, decided to revert back to the original edits as approved by the committee, rejecting most of the Witzel panel amendments to the original committee edits following a vote. Last month the sub-committee, however, announced that it has included some of the edits as proposed by HEF, VF and others, but not all of them and left out what the Hindu Press International described was "substantial number" of critical ones. Though the SBE has accepted most of the HEF recommendations, we are concerned about the remaining change which would keep the textbooks offensive and historically inaccurate,' Kand said after the March 8 endorsement. 'HEF also re-iterates its strong reservations about the process violations. Admitting late submissions of baseless allegations from a group of academicians was wrong. Moreover, appointing some of them as consultant was outrageous and insulting," said Kand, referring to the appointment of Witzel. There were indications that even though the board had endorsed the recommendations, the HEF and others might pursue for legal action. "We are looking at legal options," Suhag Shukla, legal counsel for Hindu American Foundation (HAF), told India Abroad. Kand also expressed similar sentiments. The rival groups countered that Threats of legal action are a clear sign of desperation on the part of the VF, HEF and HAF; these organizations are perhaps not aware that the board is familiar with lawsuits and cannot be cowed by such threats,' added Thillai Kumaran, of FeTNA. Said Shalini Gera on behalf of the Coalition Against Communalism (CAC). 'The SBE should be commended for rejecting the sectarian edits advocated by the Hindu Education Foundation and the Vedic Foundation. Their decision represents a major victory for California children, who will benefit from having historically accurate accounts of ancient Indian history.' 'The efforts of Hindu community has prevented grievous damage to Hinduism,' said Gaurang Desai, west coast president of Friends of India Society International.

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