You are here: SriPedia - Oppiliappan - Archives - Dec 2005

Oppiliappan List Archive: Message 00134 Dec 2005

 
Dec 2005 Indexes ( Date | Thread | Author )
[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]


SrI :

Dear AasthikAs :

For your Information and appropraiate follow up by US Citizens .
Thanks very much .

V.Sadagopan
----- Original Message ----- 
From: Mandayam Kumar Krishnaswamy 
To: sgopan 
Sent: Thursday, December 15, 2005 9:08 AM
Subject: Corrections to Textbooks in California regarding Hinduism


Dear Shriman Sadagopan, 
You may consider requesting members who are US citizens to send similar appeals 
urgently.
Dasan
krishnaswamy m k

---------- Forwarded message ----------

From: Mandayam Kumar Krishnaswamy <mkrishnaswamy@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Dec 15, 2005 6:00 AM
Subject: Corrections to Textbooks in California regarding Hinduism 

To: "Assemblywoman Jackie Goldberg" <Assemblymember.Goldberg@xxxxxxxxxx>, 
"Secretary Alan Bersin, CA Secretary of Education" < kheinrich@xxxxxxxxxx>, 
"Sue Stickel, Deputy Superintendent of Schools" <sstickel@xxxxxxxxxx>, "Karen 
Steentofte, Chief Counsel, State Board of Education" < ksteento@xxxxxxxxxx>

 
Urgent Appeal to the Curriculum Commission:

I understand that attempts are being made to OVERTURN the Curriculum 
Commission's decision of December 2, 2005 to accept the edits and corrections 
of the Vedic Foundation and Hindu Education Foundation.  The final decision is 
now in the hands of the California State Board of Education members. If 
overturned the State of California would allow the degrogatory and inaccurate 
information found in all 8 textbooks on the topics of Hinduism and Aryan 
invasion/migration to go unchecked until 2012. 

While the textbooks describe the Bible, the Torah or the Koran as 'historical 
accounts' and Jesus, Moses and Muhammad as 'historical figures,' they 
irreverently describe Lord Rama and Sita as 'characters' of the 'fictional 
story' Ramayana, Goddess Durga and Kali as 'extremely terrible and 
bloodthirsty,' the Vedas and other Hindu scriptures as songs, poems, myths, and 
legends.  While the textbooks consistently use 'God' with the capital letter G 
in the discussion of other religions, they use 'god or goddess' with the small 
letter 'g' to describe the forms of God in Hinduism and perpetuate the 
misconception that Hindus believe in 'many gods.'  The Curriculum Commission's 
decision to approve the corrections of the foundations strives to remove such 
derogatory and prejudiced statements that are made in relation to Hinduism and 
its practices, and aims to achieve a balanced and respectful presentation of 
Hinduism similar to that which is given to other religions. 
Ignoring modern scholarship, the textbooks continue to teach the Aryan invasion 
or migration as an 'established fact' and not as a 'theory.'  They fail to 
inform the students about the more recent research that indicates that the 
Aryans were the original people of India.  The foundations' corrections as 
approved by the Curriculum Commission present both sides of the issue and 
remove references that teach the 'theory' as an 'established fact.'  
It is a matter of great concern to me and fellow members of the Hindu community 
that such last minute attempts are being made to denigrate Hinduism and I 
appeal to the Commission to accept the edits and corrections of the Vedic 
Foundation and Hindu Education Foundation. 
Thanks.
Sincerely,
Krishnaswamy Mandayamkumar

TO
Secretary Alan Bersin, CA Secretary of Education  


Karen Steentofte, Chief Counsel, State Board of Education 


Ruth Green, President, State Board of Education

Sue Stickel, Deputy Superintendent of Schools  


Assemblywoman Jackie Goldberg 







[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> 
Join modern day disciples reach the disfigured and poor with hope and healing
http://us.click.yahoo.com/lMct6A/Vp3LAA/i1hLAA/XUWolB/TM
--------------------------------------------------------------------~-> 

 
Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Oppiliappan/

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
    Oppiliappan-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
    http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
 



[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next] [Date Index ] [Thread Index ] [Author Index ]
Home Page
http://www.ibiblio.org/sripedia
oppiliappan-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
To subscribe to the list