Mamata Govt maligns freedom fighters, calls Khudiram Bose a terrorist

After the TMC Government raged controversy by amending school syllabus and gave a no to 'Marx' chapters in books in 2012, now it has again found itself in the midst a controversy by labelling freedom fighters as terrorists. In Class 8 history textbooks of West Bengal Board of Secondary Education, the activities of freedom fighters like Khudiram Bose, Jatindranath Mukherjee and Prafulla Chaki have been termed as extremism and terrorism.

As per an India Today report, "A history chapter titled "revolutionary terrorism" describes the activities of freedom fighters like Shahid Khudiram Bose, Jatindranath Mukherjee and Prafulla Chaki as "extremism and terrorism". The issue kicked off a blazing debate with prominent historians in the state dubbing the move by the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education a gross distortion to India's freedom struggle."

Distorting the history

If today, these revolutionaries are called as terrorists, no wonder tomorrow even Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose will also be called so.

Atish Dasgupta, a well-known historian was quoted as saying in India Today, "Those who are using such terminology for great freedom fighters like Khudiram Bose and Prafulla Chaki are anti-nationals. Would you call Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose a terrorist too? These people are not only distorting facts, but damaging the rich tradition of our freedom movement."

Who are Prafulla Chaki, Khudiram Bose, Jatindranath Mukherjee

Prafulla Chaki (1888-1908) was a Bengali revolutionary against British Rule. He was associated with the Yugantar group of revolutionaries who carried out assassinations of British officials to secure India's independence.

Khudiram Bose (1889 -1908) was youngest Bengali revolutionary in the Indian freedom movement. He was 18 years old at the time of his hanging.

Jatindranath Mukherjee (1879 -1915) was a Bengali revolutionary philosopher against British rule. He was popularly known as Bagha Jatin. Bagha Jatin was the principal leader of the Yugantar party.

Similar attempts in the past

Earlier also the TMC Government banned certain English newspapers in government libraries and also proposed a restructure in history syllabus in the state-run schools.

The move has left Didi's government facing yet another controversy and many saw this academic effort turning political as unfortunate.

Thanks to Didi, now Marx is history in Bengal textbooks

Bringing ‘poribartan' to Bengal's school history syllabus, Karl Marx also faced axe in Mamata Banerjee syllabus and Mamata advocated this by saying that she wanted communism to be erased from textbooks. Recommendations of a syllabus reform committee said that correction in the ‘lopsided' syllabus is needed in Bengal thus, textbooks in the State needed rewriting to change the roles of Marx, Engels and the Bolsheviks.

A IBN report said , "Mamata now plans to remove the red of communism from West Bengal's textbooks. A state government appointed committee has proposed to restructure higher secondary history syllabus removing what it calls an overemphasis on communist thinkers Marx and Engels. Trinamool Congress alleges that after 30 years of Left rule, schools have become factories of communism."

Thus, changes were made in the texts and all the related text was removed.

And now, by calling freedom fighters as terrorists, Mamata Government has made a mockery of the sacrifices of such revolutionaries. By incorporating false information about great personalities in the textbooks Mamata Government has literally taken sides of the colonial British.