Eminent English litterateur EM Foster would not have bargained for it-when he penned the piece of prose titled 'tolerance', for he is now caught in the current cross-fire in Gujarat, where communal violence has claimed more than 800 lives in the past seven weeks, report agencies.
The prose, part of the English language syllabus for 12th Class of Gujarat Secondary Education Board (GSEB), triggered off a controversy on Monday when, in the ongoing examination, the question paper quoted from it. Question number3 (a) asked the students to remove 'if' from the quote '...If you don't like people, kill them.'
A section of the print media reported this on Tuesday. The Board chairman PV Trivedi, gave a new turn to the controversy by revealing that the question paper was set in September last year by a teacher, belonging to the minority community!
"This (news item) has compelled us to disclose that this particular question paper has been set by a minority community teacher," he said in a signed rejoinder on Tuesday.
Describing the contents printed in newspapers as "highly misleading and factually incorrect', he said the said text book had been published in March 1995 in accordance with the syllabus sanctioned by the Gujarat Government in the light of the National Education Policy, 1986, and was part of the text book since the last seven years. To associate the question with the prevailing situation in Gujarat is highly malicious, mischievous and provocative attempt", he added.
Expressing 'deep concern over this news item, he said it vas highly misleading and is based on mere imagination. It seems to be an attempt to misguide and provoke a 'large number of people, readers and students who are appearing for the examinations with utmost sincerity, he added.'
Trivedi said another question pertaining to the same prose has also been asked in the same question paper 1(b), about a short note on tolerance, a desirable spiritual exercise', which seems to have been "deliberately ignored'.
The Board chief said GSEB was constituted under Secondary Education Act, 1972, as a statutory and autonomous board. The state government does not interfere or influence its working, he added.
Meanwhile, an English paper reportedly set for 12th Class examination in Gujarat giving "Nazi solutions" on Tuesday raised an uproar in the Lok Sabha with Opposition and BJP members clashing and Congress demanding a response from the Government about its authenticity. Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Congress Deputy leader Shivraj Patil said the paper asked students to transform sentences as directed "If you don't like people kill them" (Remove 'if' it said).
Another question on joining of sentences
stated "there are two solutions. One of them is Nazi solution. If you don't
like people, kill them, segregate them. Then strut up and down. Proclaim
that you are the salt of the earth", he said.