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A controversy in the US state of California concerning the portrayal of Hinduism in history textbooks began in 2005. The Texas-based Vedic Foundation (VF) and the American Hindu Education Foundation (HEF), both Hindutva (Hindu nationalist) groups, complained to California's Curriculum Commission, saying the coverage in sixth grade history textbooks of Indian history and Hinduism was biased against Hinduism;〔 (【引用サイトリンク】title=Textbook Reform Initiative: Problem statement ) 〕 points of contention included a textbook's portrayal of the caste system, the Indo-Aryan migration theory, and the status of women in Indian society.〔 〕 The California Department of Education (CDE) initially sought to resolve the controversy by appointing Shiva Bajpai, Professor Emeritus at California State University Northridge, as a one-man committee to review revisions proposed by the groups. Bajpai, who was selected by the Vedic Foundation for the task, approved nearly all the changes;〔 〕 while presented by the VF as an independent scholar, it later came out that he was a member of a closely affiliated organization. Michael Witzel, Professor of Sanskrit at Harvard University, got word of the affair and organized fellow Indologists against the Hindutva campaign, sending a letter with some fifty signatories to the CBE to protest the changes of a "religious-political nature". Witzel, Stanley Wolpert and a third Indologist then revisited the proposed changed on behalf of the State Board of Education and suggested reverting some of the approved changes.〔 〕 According to the CBE, these scholars came to either an agreement or a compromise on the majority of the edits and corrections to the textbooks in 2006, with some proposed changes accepted and others rejected.〔 (Edits and Corrections List ) State Board of Education, California, United States (2006), pp 96-126 〕 In early 2006, the Hindu American Foundation sued the State Board over matters of process; the case was settled in 2009. ==Background== ;California textbooks' guiding principles The Californian ''Standards for Evaluating Instructional Materials for Social Content'' contain the guiding principles for the textbooks.〔Developed by the Curriculum Frameworks and Instructional Resources Division California Department of Education Adopted by the California State Board of Education Published by the California Department of Education (2001)〕 They say: "The standards will be achieved by depicting, when appropriate, the diversity of religious beliefs held in the United States and California, as well as in other societies, without displaying bias toward or prejudice against any of those beliefs or religious beliefs in general."〔''Standards for Evaluating Instructional Materials for Social Content'' Developed by the Curriculum Frameworks and Instructional Resources Division California Department of Education Adopted by the California State Board of Education Published by the California Department of Education (2001)〕 They also say: "No religious belief or practice may be held up to ridicule and no religious group may be portrayed as inferior.", and "Any explanation or description of a religious belief or practice should be presented in a manner that does not encourage or discourage belief or indoctrinate the student in any particular religious belief."〔 Textbooks are reviewed regularly in California, and civic organizations participate in the revision process. Christian, Jewish and Muslim groups have done this for years, but the 2005 review was the first time Hindu groups participated. ;Response to draft textbook Upon release of a draft of the textbook, Christian, Jewish, Islamic and the two Hindu groups submitted their edits in autumn 2005. After intensive scholarly discussions, over 500 changes proposed by Jewish and Christian groups and around 100 changes proposed by Muslims were accepted by the California Department of Education (CDE) and the State Board of Education (SBE); these scholarly discussions extended to January 6, 2006. Some 170 edits proposed by two Hindu foundations were initially accepted, supported by the reviewer, appointed by the California's Board of Education, Dr. Shiva Bajpai, Professor Emeritus of History, California State University Northridge.〔(California Curriculum Commission Accepts Most Hindu Changes to Sixth Grade Textbooks ) Hindu Press International〕 However, 58 of the proposed edits by Hindu groups were challenged by various groups, including Professor Michael Witzel of Harvard University.〔Witzel, Michael. (Letter to California Board of Education ) (November 8, 2005).〕 The challenge created a procedural and legal conflict. ;Accepted changes According to the State Board of California, some accepted changes were: ;Opposed changes According to the State Board of California, some opposed changes were: ;Claimants Both the Vedic Foundation (VF) and the American Hindu Education Foundation (HEF) are ideologically aligned with the Hindutva (Hindu ultra-nationalism) movement in India, specifically the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP). The HEF operates under the auspices of the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh, which professes adherence to the RSS's ideological principles; the VF does not claim affiliation with other groups, but cooperates closely with the VHP. Legal services for the textbook case were provided by the Hindu American Foundation. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「California textbook controversy over Hindu history」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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