Karnataka govt. turns kids’ folk song into latest caste battleground
Synopsis
A textbook revision committee intends to adopt a ‘revised’ version of a popular folk song. Critics claim that the revised version subtly hints at caste identity. The committee made changes in the song without informing its official publisher.
The Govina Haadu (song of a cow) has been a cherished part of Kannada folklore and remains popular with kids. So it is unfortunate to see the song, which is included in textbooks for primary school kids, has become the latest issue of ideological conflict between political groups.
The Congress government in Karnataka had constituted a textbook revision committee headed by Baraguru Ramachandrappa to revise works that had allegedly been “saffronised” by the previous BJP government. The committee recently ignited a controversy with its new interpretation of Govina Haadu that allegedly has casteist overtones.
Also read: http://newsable.asianetnews.tv/south/karnatakas-textbooks-caught-in-saffron-vs-appeasement-debate
Govina Haadu is the story of a cow named Punyakoti. The main theme of the song is truthfulness. The honesty of the cow brings a radical change in a tiger.
Watch the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dei_D5SSx8
In the revised version of the song that the committee intends to adopt, the cow is portrayed as a Brahmin and the tiger as a Dalit. In this version, the tiger attacks the cow as it is returning from a temple. Following a conversation, the tiger repents for its aggression and for not adopting vegetarianism and ends its life. Critics claim that the new version tries to convey the message that anyone who troubles a Brahmin will end up dead.
Critics have denounced the revision as a violation of academic discipline and distortion of folk literature. The Govina Haadu, which has existed for centuries, has never been interpreted in casteist terms previously. Critics claim that this is an attempt by “progressive” thinkers to extend their accusations of Brahminical influence to folk traditions after starting with major Hindu religious scriptures.
The Govina Haadu was first published by the Kannada Sahitya Parishat. However, the revised version has not been cleared by the Parishat.