Sahaj Path in primary schools again
KOLKATA: The state government will reintroduce Rabindranath Tagore's Sahaj Path in primary schools, chief minister Mamata Banerjee announced in the assembly on Friday. Her government will also set up an expert committee to review the school syllabus, to reduce the burden on children, she said.
"We have promised an education system that will be free from political bias and are moving along those lines. I have also been told by many students that they are unable to compete with those from other states as their English is not strong enough. Steps will also be taken to strengthen the English syllabus in schools to help students when they go in to pursue higher education," Mamata said.
Sahaj Path, which has illustrations by Nandalal Bose, was introduced in primary schools in 1969. In the 1980s, the Left Front government decided that the primer was no longer relevant and discontinued it.
It was the second day of the debate on the governor's address in the assembly and the CM was the last to speak. Before her, leader of the opposition Surjya Kanta Mishra and other Left Front members turned on the government for failing to curb attacks on CPM workers and a tendency to announce new plans without disclosing the details in the assembly, even when it is in session.
Mishra wanted to know of the agreement between the state government and the GJM and details about the expert committee that Mamata plans to set up on higher education. Mishra was also critical about how the government can set up another judicial inquiry into the Sainbari killings when one had already been set up earlier.
"We will provide all documents relating to Darjeeling. We are waiting for the Centre to announce a date for a tripartite meet. We are ready from our side and waiting for a call from the Centre.
Setting up of an expert panel on any matter doesn't require the consent of the House. Was there anything wrong with our decision to involve Amartya Sen in the affairs of Presidency College? I am happy to have involved experts from IIT, Jadavpur University and Besu in working out a policy for betterment of education. I didn't want politicians to be involved," Mamata said.
Reacting to an allegation by Mishra that the Trinamool - when it was in the opposition - never responded to the government's invitations to discuss issues, Mamata said she had tried to apprise the Left government of the situation that was arising in Rajarhat over the forcible acquisition of land, but to no avail. She also shot down the opposition's claim that only Left workers were getting killed in the districts.
"I refused to allow victory processions anywhere in the state after the Trinamool came to power. I won't allow guns to enter Bengal. I shall not allow either your (CPM) men or Trinamool workers to use guns. There were many who thought there would be a bloodbath after the polls. We didn't allow that to happen. The opposition should appreciate that. Even our workers have died in political clashes. We have decided to set up judicial commissions on the Sainbari killings and the death of BDO Kallol Sur. There is no problem with setting up another commission on Sainbari as the previous government didn't heed the recommendations of the first one that was set up. We will also inquire into the killings at Marichjhapi," Mamata said.
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