CHANDIGARH: The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has set up a sub-committee to conduct a probe into the deletion of chapters of Sikh history from Class 12 text book in Punjab. SGPC spokesperson Diljit Singh Bedi said, “The matter is serious. The sub-committee will submit a report in two days.” The panel involves SGPC member from Chandigarh Harjinder Kaur, member of Anandpur Sahib Surinder Singh, SGPC secretary (Education) Avtar Singh, Guru Nanak College of Girls, Muktsar Principal Tejinder Kaur Dhaliwal, and assistant secretary (Dharam Parchar) Simarjit Singh. The panel will be coordinated by SGPC education director Jatinder Singh Sidhu.
Meanwhile, Ludhiana Union cabinet minister Harsimrat Karu Badal has called the decision of the Punjab government to remove chapters of Sikh history. Speaking at the convocation of Guru Nank Dev Engineering College, she said, “Can you imagine a chief minister of Punjab removing Sikh history? Who is going to promote Sikhism then? This is shameful. Either the CM is misled or he is lying, totally to save himself. On opening the book, the preface says that we are grateful to education secretary, Krishan Kumar. They appointed Kumar. How are they saying that the Akalis did it?”
She added, “No issues were raised on the book from 2013-16. Why is there the hue and cry now? That's because they (the Congress government) has removed chapters on Sikh history altogether. Sikh history is taught from Class-5. After cutting out portions of this, they are saying it that this was decided during the tenure of the Akalis. It is absurd.” Several Sikh intellectuals and academicians have accused the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) of presenting the Sikh history and culture in new textbooks for Classes 11 and 12 from ultra-Hindu nationalistic perspective. Assembled at the call of 'Sikh Vichaar Manch', the intellectuals demanded immediate replacement of new textbooks with those “carrying comprehensive and unadulterated Sikh annals”. They said the board should reconstitute an “expert committee” with overwhelming presence of Sikh historians to recast the history syllabus for senior secondary classes.
