The decision to remove lesson on Kerala’s historical breast covering movement from NCERT ninth standard textbook is childish and bare denial of history.
It is natural for people to feel some discomfort when they think about social evils that existed in society.
But such historical lessons should essentially remain in school textbooks. Whatever be the reason, expunging them from school textbooks can only be seen as a fascist step.
Any time in history, there have been attempts by rulers to bent or rewrite facts in history according to their convenience. Even now, it is continuing and administrators do it without any qualms.
It is the portion on dress culture related to Channar agitation that has ‘faced scissors’. Students have been studying this lesson since 2006. The social evil regarding dresses worn was the one that existed in Travancore in the 18th century. At that time only people in the upper class were allowed to cover their chest.
In 1822, Channar women came forward to question this, which eventually led to mass agitation. Channar women who dared to cover their breast and go out were attacked by people from the upper class. Reformists like Ayya Vaikunda Swami were people who dauntingly worked for breast covering movement.
As riot intensified and the rulers were convinced that the agitation can’t be put down, Travancore Diwan issued an order allowing Channar women also to cover their breasts. This incident was added as an important part in the history of Travancore.
In the textbooks for the next academic year, lessons such as Cricket story and Villagers and Farmers have also been removed.
The Human Resource ministry must have removed the above lesson just to make it appear as an attempt to lightening the burden of studies. When there are other means to learn and study about cricket, it is total ignorance to delete lessons that should have remained as historical documents for ever.
Like what Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said, those who have some sense will not agree with attempts to rewrite historical book in a wrong manner.
In Renaissance history, breast covering movement and Channar agitation have an important place. It is difficult to accept the Human Resources Department’s explanation that the lessons were removed heeding to the request of certain political parties in Tamil Nadu and Nadar Community organisations.
This step was taken, eyeing only votes. If another group come forward with a similar demand in the future, will that too be heeded? If this goes on, there will be nothing left in the history text to be taught.
The repercussion of agitation by Channar women as part of breast covering movement was very big. This was an incident written in golden letters on the annals of Renaissance history. The lesson on this incident is not something that should be discarded to reduce the size of the study text.