Savarkar Question In School Quiz Event Sparks Row In Kerala

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A question about Hindutva founder Vinayak Damodar Savarkar at a school’s Freedom Quiz event on August 6 has sparked a major controversy in Kerala.

The question posed to LP school students was: Who is the freedom fighter who received the most severe punishment from the British? The answer given was Savarkar.

Following the uproar, General Education Minister N. Shamsudheen instructed General Education Director Snehil Kumar Singh to submit a report on the matter. The questions, prepared by teachers of the Social Science Club, were found to have been sent to schools in M Kumbala, Manjeshwar, and Kasargod education districts from the offices of the respective Assistant Education Officers.

The controversial question appeared in the tie-breaker section of the paper, meant only for Kumbala and Manjeshwar. Schools under the Kasargod education district did not use it, according to district education officials. Some officials noted that since the event wasn’t organized by the education department, the question could have been prepared using AI.

Meanwhile, the Students Federation of India (SFI) accused the UDF government, led by V. D. Satheesan, of enabling Sangh Parivar propaganda through an educational program.