The unrest in Kerala over educational reforms fails to die down. The first month of the current academic year was marred by a raging agitation over controversial portions in the latest textbooks for classes III, V and VII in the state-run schools. The Left Government has been charged with injecting atheism and communism to students.

Religious groups and right-wing political parties have asked the Government to withdraw the textbooks. The agitation, launched by minorities, was taken to streets by the Congress as well as the BJP, leaving a trail of violence across Kerala over the past two weeks.

Over the last one year, education sector in the state has been haunted by controversies over radical reforms suggested by the Left. For the last three decades, education has been a domain of either Kerala Congress or Indian Union Muslim League — both regional parties representing Christians and Muslims, respectively.

In a major shift, CPI(M) took over education and gave the hot potato to party leader M A Baby in 2006 when the Left assumed power in the state. All right thinking people had hailed the CPI(M) decision and expected Baby to streamline the state’s education department, which had been in a shambles. But, under Baby, the education department learnt only fresh lessons on mess-up.

First to lock horns with CPI(M) were the Christian organisations over fixing fee for professional courses run by self-financing colleges in the state. The fee suggested by the Government was not acceptable, especially to Catholics who run a chain of professional colleges. The Government moved to seek 50 per cent of seats for general category students in these colleges and that, too, irked the management of these institutions. Catholic Church raised the spectre of revolt, alleging that the Government was attempting to usurp the rights of the minorities. The Government’s move to bridle the managements failed after it faced a setback from the judiciary.

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