The Kerala Government on Thursday decided to remove certain controversial portions from the social science textbook for Class VII in state-run schools. But it ruled out withdrawal of the textbook, a demand of the Congress-led Opposition.

By deciding to bring in changes to certain parts of the text, the Education Department did a balancing act of placating the Opposition, without causing a major embarrassment to the CPM-led Left Government.

Recently, a Government-constituted expert committee had recommended changes in the textbook, which, the agitators said, was designed “to propagate atheism and communism”.

Emerging out of the state curriculum committee meeting, Education Minister and CPM central committee member M A Baby told the media that according to the suggestion of the expert committee, a few controversial portions would be “re-written”.

“The expert committee had found nothing atheistic in the text as had been alleged by certain quarters. However, to avoid the room for misconstruing the text, we have decided to make some changes in it,” he said. Accordingly, the sub-chapter — No religion for Jeevan — meant to convey the message of secularism would be overhauled. That portion, according to the Opposition and community organisations, was meant to spread atheism.

In the revised portion, the title would be replaced with “freedom for belief”.

In the content too, the reference to inter-caste background of the student’s parents would be avoided.

The Minister said the revised portion would be brought out as a four-page pamphlet, which would be printed and distributed in all schools in a short period.

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