CPI(M) seeks withdrawal of learning module for govt officials

NEW DELHI: CPI(M) today sought immediate removal of a distance learning module on ' Values in Administration' for government officials, saying it was not based on constitutional values, showed a "shocking bias" and contained "disparaging" remarks against Sikhism and Islam.


"Though the document's objective is to teach through distance learning the supervisory staff of the government, it makes no effort to base the values of the administration on the Indian Constitution and constitutional values such as equality, fundamental rights, equity," senior CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury said.

In a letter to Minister of State for Personnel V Narayanasami, he said, "Instead, the document talks about values derived from what the author calls 'Indian Insights of Human Values', which then identifies such values virtually with Hindu religious texts and beliefs" like Sattwik, Rajo and Tamoshik Guna and Karma.

"The module shows a shocking bias. There are disparaging remarks on Sikhism and Islam which in any case are not relevant to the subject matter - what constitutes values in administration.

"Neither is there any mention made of the Constitution of India, the various guarantees given under it to the Indian people and what it enjoins on the government personnel," Yechury said.

He said the text also denigrated political parties and identified itself with the values intrinsic to erstwhile princely rulers of states.

"In the case of Kerala, it makes the astounding claim that all advances there have taken place due to the enlightened rule of the former Maharaja of Travancore and makes disparaging remarks about the Communists and the Communist government in Kerala (Section 3.9)!"

Values in administration "cannot be derived from some so -called inner universal values based on a Hindu outlook but the values that have been enshrined in the Indian Constitution," Yechury said.

He said any document developed for government personnel "must show how the values in the Indian Constitution must reflect in its practice and to strengthen a secular democratic republic."

The module not only fulfils this purpose, "it actually harks back to medieval values that have little to do with modern administrative values and could even be harmful to it."

Maintaining that the module was of a "complete damaging nature", the CPI(M) leader asked Narayanswamy to take steps to "immediately remove this from any governmental programme", saying "it is unfortunate that the Government of India and its Department of Personnel should be associated with such a module."