The Madhya Pradesh Government today told the Legislative Assembly that writer and publisher of a MA textbook, which is alleged to have "derogatory" references to Gond tribals, are "black-listed" and face legal action.
The opposition Congress had yesterday created a ruckus in the House alleging derogatory references to the tribal community in the MA-level geography text book.
"The Higher Education department has suspended the principal of Mahakaushal Arts and Commerce College (for keeping the book in the college library). We have also written a letter to the Bhopal district collector to take legal action against the writer and the publisher of the book," Higher Education Minister Jaibhan Singh Pawaiya told the Assembly.
He said the book in question was not approved by the Higher Education Department's syllabus committee.
The Leader of Opposition Ajay Singh had claimed that a chapter in the book 'Bharat Ka Bhoogol,' wrongly described Gond tribal community as "cow killers" and "beef eaters." He had dubbed the book "derogatory" to the tribe.
Raising the issue again during zero hour today, Singh demanded that the state government should issue a statement on this issue.
In his reply, the Higher Education Minister said, "the book in question was not in the list of 12 books approved by the Higher Education Department's syllabus committee. We have now blacklisted the publisher and writer of the book."
"Opposition Congress should remember that it was the UPA government at the Centre, under which the NCERT had mentioned in its book that 'Aryans were beef eaters' during 2007-08," the minister claimed.
However, the Speaker didn't allow further discussion on this issue and proceeded to conduct the listed businesses.
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