Uttarakhand: Probe ordered over use of Urdu words for mother, father in textbook
The inquiry was ordered after the parents of a Class 2 student filed a complaint saying their son called them “Ammi and Abbu” after reading the words in his school textbook
Authorities in Uttarakhand have ordered an inquiry after the parents of a Class 2 student filed a complaint with Dehradun’s district magistrate saying their son called them “Ammi and Abbu” after reading the words for mother and father in Urdu in his school textbook.
Manish Mittal, the father of the student, called the use of the words in the book “an assault of religious beliefs” and demanded that it be banned. “...the use of Ammi and Abbu in English books is inappropriate and mischievous,” Mittal said in his complaint, a copy of which HT has seen.
He said it is just the beginning of the new academic year and that immediate action can stop such “anti-religion practices”.
Uttarakhand’s school education director Banshidhar Tiwari said, “We have ordered an inquiry. All stakeholders will be listened to. The textbook will be examined too. We will take further action on the basis of the findings of the inquiry report.”
Mittal said they were shocked when they heard their son call them Abbu and Ammi. “When we asked him for the reason, he showed us his English textbook, Gul Mohar 2 published by Orient Black Swan, Hyderabad. In the first chapter, Ammi and Abbu have been used for mother and father...[the] words have been explained...,”
He said Mata and Pita should be used in Hindi books and Ammi, and Abbu in Urdu books. Mittal said Gul Mohar 2 is a part of the curriculum in the majority of Indian Certificate of Secondary Education schools across the country. “It is important to stop such misleading practices.”
A Hindu group has also submitted a complaint to Dehradun chief education officer Pradeep Kumar seeking the removal of the book from the curriculum.
Kumar said the parents approached the magistrate who forwarded their complaint to him. “I have sought the opinion of ICSE-affiliated school principals and academics. If needed, I will also write to ICSE,” he said. “We have also received a complaint from Hindu Vahini against the book. They have sought removal of the book from the curriculum.”
