
Kerala's general education minister N Samsudheen has ordered an inquiry into a school quiz question that described Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar as the freedom fighter who received the "most severe punishment"…
Kerala's general education minister N Samsudheen has ordered an inquiry into a school quiz question that described Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar as the freedom fighter who received the "most severe punishment" from the British. The quiz, held on August 6 for lower primary students in Kasaragod, Kumbla and Manjeshwar sub-districts, was not authorised by the education department, PTI reports.

The minister's office called the question "historically incorrect" and said the person who included it holds a "prejudiced view." Former chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan accused the UDF government of "colluding" with the RSS to glorify Savarkar. The CPI(M) and Left-affiliated groups have demanded strict action, alleging an attempt to "saffronise" Kerala's education system.
Both sides are playing politics with a school quiz. The UDF government calls the question unauthorised, but its detractors in the CPI(M) and IUML see a deliberate RSS push. Neither camp offers evidence the question was officially sanctioned. The real test will be the inquiry report: who actually prepared the quiz, and was it part of a pattern or a lone teacher's lapse? Until then, let facts, not slogans, guide the answer.
Sources (2): timesofindia.indiatimes.com, ndtv.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.