Dear Friend,

As you may be aware, a major effort is underway in California, in the guise of multiculturalism and minority rights, to inject narrow sectarian versions of Hinduism and Ancient India into Grade 6 History-Social Science text books. (For background information and talking points, see http://www.friendsofsouthasia.org). We need your urgent help to turn back the Hindutva assault on our text books, before they are adopted by the California State Board of Education (SBE).

If you are among those who:

· Believe that school curriculum ought to be based on scholarly and factual information, and encourage class discussions on links between history and contemporary social issues;

· Wish to prevent California from being used as a laboratory for a Hindutva view of history, which has been rejected by Indian policy makers (via NCERT books); and ·
Want the SBE to know that a majority of Hindus and Indians DO NOT subscribe to the supremacist, and often violent, ideologies of Hindutva groups .

Then here is what you can do:

1. Let the SBE know by fax or email or by telephone that:

· Ancient Indian history belongs to ALL the communities from the subcontinent, not just to some “practicing Hindus” (as defined by some sectarian groups) based in the United States.

· You have serious reservations about the edits submitted by the Vedic Foundation (VF) and the Hindu Education Foundation (HEF), and that you would like the SBE to adopt the edits submitted by the Content Review Panel of scholars appointed by the SBE.

· You reject the demands of the VF and HEF, who posture as aggrieved minorities when their cohorts in India make a mockery of rights for religious minorities, Dalits, Adivasis, and women.

Contacts at the CA Department of Education:

· President Ruth Green -- (916) 319-0827. Fax: (916) 319-0176. Email: Jack O'Connell joconnell@cde.ca.gov, Tom Adams tadams@cde.ca.gov

· Deputy Supt Sue Stickel, Curriculum & Instruction Branch -- Phone: (916) 319-0806. Fax: (916) 319- 0103 Email: sstickel@cde.ca.gov;

· Assembly member Jackie Goldberg; Chair of the Education Committee -- Fax: (916) 319-2145 Goldberg@asm.ca.gov;

· Secretary Alan Bersin -- Fax: (916) 323-3753; kheinrich@ose.ca.gov;

· Chief Counsel Karen Steentofte -- Fax: (916) 319-0176 ksteento@cde.ca.gov

2. Write to your local South Asian newspaper expressing your views about this ongoing controversy.

India Abroad: editorial@indiaabroad.com, Fax: 212-727-9730
India West: news@indiawest.com, Fax: (510) 383-1155 24
Indian Express, North America: info@iexpressusa.com Fax. (212) 594-8848

Thank you for caring.

Volunteers at Friends of South Asia (FOSA)