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Bhubaneswar: Strongly criticising the Odisha government for mentioning Mahatma Gandhi's death as 'accidental sequence of events' in a booklet released by the School & Mass Education Department recently, the Mahatma followers have questioned why the government is hell-bent on providing misinformation to people, particularly the school students.
Reportedly, the department had published a two-page booklet ‘Aama Bapuji: Eka Jhalaka (Our Bapuji: A Glimpse)’ comprising the life history of Mahatma Gandhi with colourful photographs and it was distributed in all schools to commemorate Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary.
Shockingly, at the end the booklet has mentioned that Gandhi died at the Birla House in New Delhi on January 30, 1948 due to “accidental sequence of events”.
Gandhiji was in fact shot dead by Nathuram Godse at a prayer meeting at Birla House on January 30, 1948 in presence of hundreds of people. Subsequently, Godse was arrested, tried and sentenced to death.
The misrepresentation of facts in the government booklet has sparked controversy as Gandhian followers lambasted the Government and questioned why people, particularly the children are being provided all sorts of misinformation and wrong data concerning Gandhi’s death.
“The booklet published and distributed by the School and Mass Education department of Odisha mentions that Gandhi died at the Birla House in New Delhi on January 30, 1948 due to 'accidental sequence of events'. This particular sentence is sheer insult to Mahatma Gandhi and violation of the rich historical facts of the country,” criticised Lok Shakti Abhiyan convenor, Prafulla Samanatara.
“The motive behind the tweaked information in the book is an attempt to hide from the children the fact that Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated by Hindutva radical Nathuram Godse. The children are being given wrong information. We urge the Chief Minister and the Education Minister to direct an enquiry to ascertain if the government has done it willingly. And if it is not so, the concerned officials responsible for the act should be taken into task,” added Samantara.
Meanwhile, the State government has directed for an investigation into the matter. School And Mass Education Minister Samir Dash said that strict action will be taken against whosoever is found responsible.
