No deletion of a chapter on revered Sufi saint from Class IX textbooks :CM

No deletion of a chapter on revered Sufi saint from Class IX textbooks :CM

 

Srinagar, Dec 19: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said that there will be no deletion of a chapter on revered Sufi saint Sheikh Noor-ud-din from the Class IX textbooks.

Omar was reacting to concerns over the exclusion of a chapter on the life of revered Sufi saint from the Class 9 English textbook which had sparked widespread criticism from Member of J&K Legislative Assembly M Y Tarigami and Sajad Lone.

Omar said there will be no deletion of the chapter and the issue has been taken up with J&K Education Minister Sakina Itoo.

“I assure @tarigami Sb that there will be no deletion of the chapter. The matter has already been taken up by @sakinaitoo sahiba as soon as this was brought to the attention of the government,” Omar posted on X.

CPI(M) Central Committee Member and MLA Kulgam, M Y Tarigami said it is deeply troubling that an entire chapter on the revered Sufi saint Sheikh-ul-Alam has been dropped from the Class IX textbook.

“This blue-pencilling, carried out before the Assembly polls, is unacceptable to a society rooted in rich Sufi traditions. I urge Chief Minister @OmarAbdullah to intervene and ensure that this crucial chapter is reinstated, thereby preserving and honoring our rich cultural and Sufi heritage,” he said in a post on X.

Peoples Conference President and MLA Handwara, Sajad Lone strongly condemned the removal of a chapter based on the saintly life of greatly revered Kashmiri saint Sheikh Noor-U-Din Wali from Class 9 textbooks by the Board of School Education’s (BOSE)

He called it “pure cultural terrorism” and “an assault on our culture and ethos.”

“Sheikh Noor-U-Din Wali has been revered by all Kashmiris, irrespective of religion and is held in the highest esteem,” Lone said.

He emphasized that in these times, “smudged with violence, greed and hatred,” the great saint’s life serves as a “beacon of hope and a role model for emulation.”

“Our great Saint and his Saintly ways were etched in our hearts and minds much before BOSE came into existence,” Lone remarked.

Urging for introspection, he strongly condemned the decision, reaffirming that the teachings and legacy of Sheikh Noor-U-Din Wali are an inseparable part of Kashmir’s cultural and spiritual identity.

Former Srinagar mayor Junaid Azim Mattu hit out at the J&K government over the issue.

“They chair meetings of all Departments but when they hurt the sentiments of the people they pass the buck. This shoot-and-scoot policy and passing the parcel policy of the National Conference doesn’t fool anyone. They’re busy getting new suits stitched. And of course, new Kanis,” Mattu posted on X.

UNI

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