Social activist Anna Hazare’s life and his years of campaign against corruption, including the current one, are likely to be included in the school textbooks of Jharkhand, according to the state’s education minister.
Baijnath Ram, minister for education in Jharkhand’s BJP-JMM coalition government, said a proposal to include the socio-political movements led by Anna Hazare would be discussed in the state cabinet for inclusion of a chapter in the textbooks published by the state school board.
“We are planning to include the Anna movement in school textbooks. We will first discuss the issue with chief minister Arjun Munda,” said Ram. “When the movements such as those by Vinoba Bhave and the anti-British national movement could be included in school syllabus, why can’t the Anna movement?” he said. Mr Munda, who has described Mr Hazare’s arrest as “murder of democracy,” is said to be willing to accept the education minister’s proposal.
The move, seen in Jharkhand’s political circles as an implicit step to deepen anti-Congressism, could be okayed by the state cabinet in its next meeting, said government sources.
On Saturday, many parts of Bihar and Jharkhand saw a continued eruption of public support for Mr Hazare’s raging movement for a strong Lokpal Bill. A major part of the demonstrators were school and college students in both the states.