School Edu Dept clarifies over ‘disrespectful’ content in textbooks

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir School Education Department on Saturday said neither JKBOSE nor NCERT have published any text book wherein any religious figure was disrespected.

 A statement in this regard said, “There is some objectionable content page from a book being circulated on social media. As verified, from the textbooks prescribed and developed by JKBOSE, there is no such content in JKBOSE textbooks. Moreover, no book having such content has been developed by NCERT, nor has it been prescribed in any of JK schools”.

 The statement added, “We are verifying the source of this video so that the law enforcement authorities can take strict action”.

 Notably several religious organizations had earlier demanded NCERT to remove such chapters and statements from textbooks.

Earlier, Jammu and Kashmir Anjuman-E-Sharie Shian President and founder Chairman Anjuman Interfaith Dialogue chapter Aga Syed Hassan Mosavi Al-Safavi has strongly condemned the dehumanising of Islamic Figure Ayatollah Imam Khomeini in a text book published by NCERT.

Meanwhile, amid row over labeling a religious figure inaccurately, the publishing house Acuber Books International tendered apology, saying “the content is deeply offensive to many individuals and communities”.

 “We write to you with utmost sincerity and regret regarding the recent controversy surrounding our publication’s portrayal of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. It has come to our attention that labelling him among the ‘most evil men in history’ is not only inaccurate but also deeply offensive to many individuals and communities,” an apology letter stated.

 “We acknowledge the gravity of our mistake and recognize that such mischaracterizations not only undermine truth and justice but also perpetuate harmful stereotypes. We understand the importance of rectifying this error swiftly and unequivocally”.

 “On behalf of Acuber Books International, We extend our sincerest apologies to all those who have been affected by this oversight. It was never our intention to spread misinformation or contribute to the propagation of harmful narratives. In response to this issue, we are taking immediate steps to rectify the situation. We are committed to reviewing and revising our content to ensure accuracy, fairness, and sensitivity in our representations. Additionally, we will be issuing a formal correction and apology in our upcoming publications and online platforms,” it said.

 “We deeply value the feedback and concerns of our readers and stakeholders, and we are dedicated to upholding the highest standards of integrity and respect in all our publications. Once again, we apologize for any distress or offense caused by our error, and we thank you for bringing this matter to our attention,” it added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Kashmir Monitor staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)