Key Points

The student body alleged that the Class 4 Environmental Studies teachers’ handbook contained “fake propaganda” against freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, claiming he had fled to Germany out of fear of the British regime.

ABVP said this amounted to defaming a national hero who had laid down his life for India’s independence. ABVP also pointed to serious errors in the same textbook, including the omission of Assam and Jharkhand from an India map in the second chapter.

The organisation described the omission as part of a larger conspiracy to weaken the country’s unity.

“By leaving out Assam, the government is indirectly supporting the Chinese Communist Party’s ambitions to occupy Indian territory, while neglecting Jharkhand exposes its disregard for tribal communities,” the organisation charged.

ABVP National Secretary Shravan B. Raj said in a statement that the move was “a calculated attempt by the Communist Party-led Kerala government to manipulate the young generation with fake narratives".

He added: “Portraying Netaji as a coward is nothing but a malicious lie. The errors in the map are not accidental but a conspiracy to damage national integrity. This is a campaign of breaking India by anti-national forces.”

He further alleged that by omitting Assam, the ruling CPI(M) was showing “loyalty to their ideological progenitors in China” and misleading students, “the future of Bharat.”

ABVP Kerala State Secretary E.U. Eswaraprasad said the incident exposed the “poisonous narrative” being promoted by the Education Department.

“Kerala claims to be a model for other states, but this is nothing short of a heinous act. This is a deliberate ploy by the ruling party to plant anti-national ideas in young minds,” he said.

Eswaraprasad added that the ABVP has submitted formal complaints to the state Education Minister and the Director of NCERT, demanding strict action against the officials responsible.

“We will continue to resist any attempt to politicise academic materials and distort history,” he said.

The controversy has triggered sharp reactions, with ABVP vowing to launch protests if corrective steps are not taken immediately.

- IANS