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Kerala probes quiz calling Savarkar most punished freedom fighter
Kerala's general education minister N Samsudheen has ordered an inquiry into a school quiz question that called Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar the freedom fighter who got the "most severe punishment" from…
The Story in Brief
Kerala's general education minister N Samsudheen has ordered an inquiry into a school quiz question that called Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar the freedom fighter who got the "most severe punishment" from the British. The August 6 quiz for lower primary students in Kasaragod, Kumbla and Manjeshwar was not authorised by the department, the minister's office said. Teachers linked to the Social Science Club prepared the questionnaire, PTI reported.
The minister's office called the question historically incorrect and said the education director would identify those responsible. CPI(M) leader Pinarayi Vijayan accused the UDF government of colluding with the RSS, while former minister V Sivankutty alleged an attempt to "saffronise" Kerala's education. SFI, DYFI and IUML leaders criticised the question, with IUML's M K Muneer urging a serious probe.
The Indian Opinion
The quiz row shows how easily history becomes a political football. Left parties call Savarkar's punishment claim a Sangh Parivar plot; the minister rightly rejects an unauthorised question. But make no mistake, Savarkar's jail terms are fact, his ideology is contested. The real test is whether the inquiry names the teachers and whether Kerala's schools stick to the approved calendar. Will the department also review other quiz questions for accuracy, or is this just another round of ideological point-scoring? Watch for the inquiry report.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
