(The Times of India, August 10, 2006)
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1879406.cms
'Hindutva test' comes under fire
HYDERABAD: The move to 'communalise' public service commission examinations in Gujarat came in for stringent criticism here on Wednesday.
Mumbai-based social activist and National Integration Council (NIC) member Asghar Ali Engineer lambasted the Gujarat government led by Narendra Modi for the GPSC questions with blatant communal tinge.
The Gujarat Public Service Commission (GPSC) on Sunday in the Ayurvedic medical officers' examination had included questions like: "Which day is celebrated as Black Day by minorities and Victory Day by RSS." An obvious reference to December 6, 1992 when the Babri masjid was demolished in Ayodhya.
Participating in the programme, 'Joint Celebration of Festivals,' organised by the Confederation of Voluntary Associations (Cova), he said: "When governments themselves want communal unrest what can the common man do but suffer silently."
Asghar Ali opined that communal polarisation in the country was at its peak now, much more than what it was in 1947 during the time of partition. He expressed anguish that the Centre was doing nothing to stop "communal campaigns" after the Mumbai bomb blasts.
"SMSes like 'all Muslims are terrorists and all terrorists are Muslims' are still doing the rounds despite the Centre's attention being drawn to the issue," Asghar Ali said, adding "recent incidents like the Mumbai blasts are reflecting badly on the communal insensitivity of the country".
Referring to contents of some textbooks in the country, he said that the ordinary citizen was confused about history as it was being distorted by consecutive governments.
"History textbooks do not mention instances of communal harmony between Hindu and Muslim rulers," he said.
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