A row over 60-year-old cartoon of BR Ambedkar turned with more controversial while two activists of Republican Panther of India ransacked the Former NCERT adviser Professor Suhas Palshikar’s office.
Palshikar, head of the political science department, resigned earlier while the issue of publishing a cartoon on Dr BR Ambedkar in NCERT schoolbooks.
The youth went to him for knowing actual reason over the controversial cartoon in NCERT textbooks, but Palshikar refused to do the same. In anger of failure, they tried to damage his office inside the University of Pune campus.
After this over all issue, Palshikar confined in front of media that there is nothing find wrong in the committee allowing the BR Ambedkar cartoon to be printed in textbooks.
“I don’t think we made a mistake. The cartoon does not denigrate Dr Ambedkar in any manner. Instead of the old method of dry text, the use of cartoon is meant to tackle the subject in a different manner. We have a responsibility towards the next generation. To make them learn in a different manner, the lighter form of cartoons was used. A symbolism depicted in cartoon should not and is not meant to be taken literally,” he told reporters.
He further added that he was shocked that the issue of textbook that was printed in 2006, is raising in Parliament now without any reason.
He is ready for any inquiry and replied to the committee same that he told media. He said, teachers always tried to teach students with right opinion and he respect Dr Ambedkar and his contribution and do not mean to insult his memory in any manner.
Refusing to file a complaint against youths, he said, “I have no grudge against the youths, nor have I filed a complaint. I merely expect the police to warn them.”
The cartoon row had come on Friday in Parliament by Dalit leader and Republican Party of India chief Ramdas Athawale.
The HRD minister Kapil Sibal also apologized and ensured quickly removal of cartoon from the Class XI political science textbook-shows Jawaharlal Nehru with a whip chasing Ambedkar, asking him to speed up work on the Constitution.
Moreover, source said, Ambedkar’s grandson Prakash said the Father of the Constitution himself would never have opposed the cartoon, but Dalit demanding strict charges against Palshikar and NCERT co-adviser Yogendra Yadav for “insulting a national icon”.
