NCERT asked to remove Ambedkar cartoon from textbooks: Sibal

Agreeing that Ambedkar's cartoon in an NCERT textbook was objectionable, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal on Friday said orders have been issued to withdraw it and stop distribution of these books, and promised concrete action in the matter. 

Responding to concerns expressed by members in Rajya Sabha, Sibal said the Government will also examine whether any criminal offence was made out against those who drew or included the cartoon of B R Ambedkar in the textbook.

Admitting that there were many other objectionable cartoons of political leaders in NCERT textbooks, he said his Ministry has decided to constitute a Committee of experts to look into cases of all such objectionable cartoons and remove them.

"When I got information in the beginning of April, I wrote a letter to NCERT that such a cartoon should not be there as it is objectionable... On April 26, 2012, I wrote to NCERT stating that it is considered advisable to withdraw the cartoon. After this, they set up a Committee to examine this," Sibal said.

"Then I called all textbooks and found there are many other such cartoons about other leaders which are objectionable. Then I decided to set up a Committee to look into all textbooks. I told NCERT to stop distribution of all books immediately," he said.

When asked by BSP member Mayawati as to what action the Government was taking against those responsible for inclusion of Ambedkar cartoon in textbooks and by when would action be taken, Sibal said, "Nothing objectionable about Babasaheb Ambedkar will be allowed and action will be taken so that this is not repeated."

Clarifying that the textbooks are made by an independent textbook authority - Textbook Development Committee, which comprise academics and not officials of NCERT.

He said none of the existing members of the present Textbook Committee which approved this book will be part of the new Committee set up to examine objectionable cartoons.

Meanwhile, amid uproar in Parliament over a cartoon of B R Ambedkar in NCERT textbooks, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal on Friday apologised over the objectionable content, saying he has directed removal of the material and stoppage of distribution of books.

He appealed to political parties not to make it an issue for vote bank politics. "...I am willing to personally apologise for it though I was not the minister at that time in 2006. I was involved in the publication of the books," Sibal told reporters outside Parliament House.

He said there was no question of anybody trying to malign Ambedkar or anybody trying to make fun of him because that "I think will be against the secular ethos of our country".

Sibal said much before the issue came to Parliament, he had taken action on it and set up a committee to look at the entire gamut of cartoons in textbooks and their content to ensure material of this nature is taken out of textbooks.

"This issue came to my notice sometime towards April and we sought an explanation from NCERT and after the explanation had come, we took the decision on April 27 that this particular cartoon should be withdrawn from NCERT textbooks on political science," he said.

Sibal said the government on Friday further decided that the textbooks which contain the cartoon shall not be distrubuted.

The wholesalers, he said, have also been asked to stop distribution of the textbooks.