Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 30

Reacting to the outburst of the Opposition regarding the alleged deletion of references to the Sikh history in the PSEB syllabus for Classes XI and XII, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Monday underlined that “not a single piece of information on the Sikh history or the Sikh Gurus has been dropped in the process of realignment of the syllabus”.The CM pointed out that the decision to realign the courses with the NCERT syllabus was taken during the SAD-BJP regime in 2014. The SGPC was party to all discussions on the issue since the government took over in March last year.Capt Amarinder minced no words in lambasting SAD president Sukhbir Badal for his “baseless statements on the issue, which have the potential to disturb the peace and harmony of the state”. He also condemned AAP for joining the vilification campaign against the government without verifying the facts.Capt Amarinder said: “I had personally sought a detailed mapping of the old syllabus of Class XI in the new syllabus for Class XII and also of the old syllabus of Class XII in the new syllabus for Class XI. Both clearly showed that not a single piece of information on the Sikh history or the Sikh Gurus had been dropped in the process.” He said: “Only the chapters and material on Sikh history have been organised in a more cohesive format for ease of learning. The entire period from Guru Nanak Dev to Guru Gobind Singh and martyrdom of the four Sahibzadas, will now be taught in Class XI.”He said soon after taking over the state’s reins, his government had written to the SGPC for a discussion on the issue of the history course realignment, given the sensitive nature of the subject. The SGPC had deputed Prof Paramveer Singh of Punjabi University, who had attended all meetings on the matter.The CM said the Class XI history book, the Opposition was citing in support of its allegations, had not even been printed yet. “To ensure there is no mutilation of the Sikh history and culture, the government has handed over the task of printing of these books to the PSEB.”

The decision to realign the courses with the NCERT syllabus was taken during the SAD-BJP regime in 2014. The SGPC is party to all discussions on the issue since the Congress government took over in March last year— Capt Amarinder Singh, CM