Thiruvananthapuram: Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose fled India ‘fearing the British’ – this is what a handbook issued to teachers by the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) in Kerala said.
The handbook was meant to guide those teaching Class 4 students in the state syllabus. The error was discovered by teachers themselves, who promptly reported the matter to SCERT.
The handbooks have been replaced and a probe has been ordered.
According to sources, the controversial reference appeared in a brief note about Bose. The handbook first mentioned that he served as Congress president and later resigned to form the Forward Bloc.
Things went wrong when it added that Bose “fled to Germany, fearing the British” before going on to form the Indian National Army (INA) to fight against colonial rule.
“Teachers flagged the mistake as soon as they received the handbook. Following the feedback, SCERT recalled and corrected the content, issuing a revised version of the book,” an official said.
The erroneous phrase “fearing the British” was removed. SCERT officials have confirmed that an internal inquiry has been launched to ascertain how such a mistake slipped through the review process in an official academic handbook.
The handbooks are meant to provide teachers with correct background information and instructions for classroom teaching.
Such grave factual errors, if unnoticed, could mislead young students about the life and contributions of national leaders. Netaji remains one of the most inspirational figures of India’s freedom movement.
He left the country by hoodwinking the British but this was part of a calculated effort to mobilise global support against British rule, not an act of fear.
With the error corrected and a probe underway, SCERT has assured teachers and parents that stricter quality checks will be implemented in the future to prevent similar lapses.
SCERT Kerala is an autonomous body of the Department of General Education, Government of Kerala.