Bofors info in std 9 syllabus irks Congress

Mumbai: The Opposition on Monday created an uproar in the Maharashtra Legislative Council over the Bofors scandal being mentioned in the Class 9 History syllabus of state board schools — to which education minister Vinod Tawde said he would convey the “sense of the House” to the board.

The scandal pertains to a Rs 1,437-crore contract that was signed between India and Bofors AB, a Swedish arms manufacturer, in March 1986 for the supply of 410 155mm Howitzer guns for the Indian Army.

A Swedish radio broadcast a year later alleged that the firm had paid bribes to Indian politicians and defence personnel.

Former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was also implicated in the scandal.

Congress leader Sanjay Dutt said it was ‘atrocious’ and a ‘political conspiracy to defame the former PM.

Mr Dutt said in the council, “The Bofors enquiry commission never held Rajivji responsible. Still, if this new syllabus mentions his name, it’s nothing but an attempt to defame Congress leaders.”

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLC Sunil Tatkare backed Mr Dutt, stating, “The government must clarify its position. It is not good to have such things in the syllabus. It will misinform the coming generations about the contributions of political leaders.”

Countering these allegations, Mr Tawde replied, “It is not at all political. While we expect students to learn about the pre-Independence era, it would also be useful to inform them about post-Independence period. He also mentioned other events that were included in the syllabus. “The creation of Bangladesh and the decision to develop super computers are also mentioned in the same book. So, allegations of political interference are baseless,” he said.

Refusing to commit to asking for the paragraph to be removed, Mr Tawde said, “The board (the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary & Higher Secondary Education) is an independent body. The government does not interfere in its work. So, I will convey the sense of the House to it for further action.”

The new Class 9 history syllabus had seen some controversy. A chapter that explores post-60s India includes lines such as “Emergency had encroached human rights” and “Rajiv Gandhi faced allegations of corruption in Bofors procurement which resulted in Congress losing power in next elections.” The Congress has been demanding the removal of these two points from the syllabus for the past month.