The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Saturday demanded a high-level probe and stern action against officials guilty of deleting chapters related to the era of Sikh Gurus from the Class XII history book of Punjab School Education Board (PSEB).
Former Education Minister Daljit Singh Cheema, who also wrote a letter in this regard to Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, said it was shocking that the State’s own school board had expunged the history makers of Punjab from the history books of Punjab.
Calling for a thorough probe into the issue, Cheema said the move could be part of a deep-rooted conspiracy to rob the future generations of Punjabis from knowledge about the history of Sikh Gurus and Sikh warriors of Punjab. He said corrective measures should be undertaken immediately including ban on distribution and sale of the new history book of Class XII.
The SAD leader said there were 23 chapters carrying information about Sikh Gurus, Sikh warriors and historical facts about Punjab in the class XII history book. He said all these chapters had been removed illogically and replaced with a half page description about the glorious period of Sikh history.
“This is intolerable as it amounts to playing with the sentiments of the Sikh community and purposefully ignoring the contributions of the Sikh gurus in the history of the country,” he said, adding that the new book had also done injustice with Punjabis by ignoring their stellar role in the freedom struggle as well as their contributions to safeguard the unity and integrity of the country.
The former Education Minister of Punjab requested the Chief Minister to constitute a high-level committee of experts to give suggestions especially when there is any move to make changes in history books of the State school board.
NOW GOONDA TAX BEING lEVIED FROM FARMERS, AllEGES SAD
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Saturday said another form of goonda tax had started in Punjab, this time targeted at commission agents and farmers, by forcing them to cough up Rs three to Rs four per bag to shift procured wheat stock to godowns.
SAD spokesman Parambans Singh Romana said farmers were already in a state of deep stress in mandis because purchase of wheat was being deliberately delayed due to lack of lifting. He said after failing to arrive at a settlement with transport unions to ensure efficient lifting of wheat, Congress politicians who have taken these contracts without having the requisite resources, were forcing commission agents and farmers to pay for this exercise.
Terming this as akin to a forced goonda tax as was being collected from contractors supplying sand and gravel to the Bathinda refinery, Romana said this was worse. “Congress politicians in Farikdot as well across the Malwa region are sucking the blood of farmers by forcing them to pay for transportation of the wheat procured from them”.