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California Textbook Controversy

Harvard Hosts Panel on Textbook Controversy

February 10, 2006

Source: Lokvani

http://www.lokvani.com/lokvani/article.php?article_id=3050

On February 10, 2006 Lokvani reported, "On Friday, Feb. 3rd, the Dharma Club, Harvard's Hindu students' organization, held a public forum to discuss the controversy over recent attempts to correct the presentation of Hinduism in textbooks in California. The forum featured presentations by two speakers. The first was Prof. Michael Witzel, Wales Professor of Sanskrit at Harvard, who opposes...

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Navya Shastra Calls for Broader Representation of Hindus, Including Dalits, in California Textbooks

January 26, 2006

Source: Religions News Service

http://www.religionnews.com/press02/PR012706.html

On January 26, 2006 a Religions News Service Press Release stated, "Navya Shastra, the international Hindu reform organization, has called for a broader representation of Hindu traditions and a fairer treatment of Dalits in California textbooks. The current version of the school textbooks equates Hinduism with a monolithic reading of the Vedic tradition, which has historically been...

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Indian History Takes Center Stage in US Textbook Controversy

January 24, 2006

Source: CBS News/The Christian Science Monitor

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/01/24/national/main1233893.shtml

On January 24, 2006 The Christian Science Monitor reported, "In the halls of Sacramento, a special commission is rewriting Indian history: debating whether Aryan invaders conquered the subcontinent, whether Brahman priests had more rights than untouchables, and even whether ancient Indians ate beef. That this seemingly arcane Indian...

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Hindu American Foundation Comments on Indian-American Response to California Textbooks in India Abroad

January 23, 2006

Source: Hindu American Foundation

http://www.hinduamericanfoundation.org/media_letters_india_abroad_textbook.htm

On January 23, 2006 the Hindu American Foundation's Suhag A. Shukla composed a letter to the editor of India Abroad regarding the current controversy over the content of history textbooks for Californian sixth graders. "While attacks [on the textbook contents] from non-Hindu academics with no expertise in Hinduism, and whose...

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Friends of South Asia Speaks Out Against “Hindutva Assault” on California History Books

January 16, 2006

Source: FOSA

http://www.friendsofsouthasia.org/textbook/

On January 16, 2006 Friends of South Asia ran an editorial regarding the current controversy over the content of sixth grade history textbooks in California. "We in California are facing a Hindutva assault on school history textbooks of the kind that went on a few years ago in India. This is an issue of rising concern in the California community, and we at Friends of South Asia, as a group of Hindus, Muslims, Christians...

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Coalition of South Asians Opposes “Hindu Supremacist” Curriculum Changes

January 15, 2006

Source: FOSA

http://www.friendsofsouthasia.org/textbook/FOSACAC_Jan15Update.html

On January 15, 2006 the Friends of South Asia reported, "A broad coalition of Indians and other South Asians representing Friends of South Asia, Coalition Against Communalism, Tamil Sangams of North America, and various groups representing Dalits were present in force at the California State Board of Education meeting in Sacramento on January 12, 2006. They were there to...

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Hindu American Foundation Retains Law Firm in California Textbook Case

January 12, 2006

Source: Hindu American Foundation

http://www.hinduamericanfoundation.org/media_press_release_california_textbook.htm

On January 12, 2006 the a Hindu American Foundation Press Release stated, "The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) has retained the law firm of Olson, Hagel and Fishburn, LLP of Sacramento, California to represent the Foundation in its interactions with the California State Board of Education (SBE). The SBE is currently...

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Opinion: "Textbooks and Hinduism -- Why Accuracy Matters"

January 10, 2006

Source: New America Media

http://news.ncmonline.com/news/view_article.html?article_id=40201e50a88ae6ca289796f9e5d1396f

On January 10, 2006 New America Media ran an opinion piece by Viji Sundaram, a reporter for the weekly U.S. based Indian newspaper, India-West. "Earlier this month, the arm of California's Board of Education that decides what will and won't go into the history textbooks of millions of students [California...

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Coalition of Indian-Americans Object to "Hindu Supremacist" Changes to California Curriculum

January 10, 2006

Source: San Francisco Bay Area Independent Media Center/Friends of South Asia

http://www.indybay.org/news/2006/01/1795025.php

On January 10, 2006 a Friends of South Asia Press Release stated, "A coalition of American groups representing the immigrant communities from the Indian subcontinent, led by Friends of South Asia (FOSA), have taken strong [issue with] numerous misrepresentations of India’s ancient history and of Hinduism recently put forward by the Vedic...

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Update: California Board of Education Meets to Discuss Proposed Textbook Changes

January 8, 2006

Source: Hindu Press International

On January 8, 2006 Hindu Press International reported, "California State Board of Education members and staff conducted a special, closed-door meeting on January 6 to revisit the Hindu requests [proposed by two Hindu groups, the Hindu Education Foundation and the Vedic Foundation] for changes in the 6th grade social studies books currently proposed for adoption by the State... In the all-day meeting, the group went over every one of the disputed edits. At the beginning, the ground rules were set in such a way by the Board...

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