NEW DELHI: A picture in an Indian school’s science textbook showing a mosque as a source of noise pollution has caused massive outrage on social media.
The grade VI textbook, published by Selina Publishers, has a chapter on the causes of noise pollution. Internet users took to social media to demand an apology from the publisher and the promise that the picture would be removed in the following editions, India Today reported.
The picture shows a train, car, plane and a mosque, all with symbols depicting loud sound, next to a man frowning and shutting his ears.
An online petition has been launched demanding the book to be withdrawn.
Publisher Hemant Gupta said, “This is to inform all concerned that we will be changing the picture in subsequent editions of the book.”
Gupta further explained saying that the diagram on page 202 of its publication, Integrated Science, consisted of “a structure resembling a portion of a fort and other noise producing objects in a noisy city”.
“We do apologise if it has hurt the sentiments of anyone,” he said.
Gerry Arathoon, chief executive for Indian School Certificate Examinations said, “If any book with objectionable content is being taught in certain schools. It is for schools and publisher to ensure such a thing does not happen.”
Earlier in April, famed singer Sonu Nigam sparked a controversy when he tweeted saying that he was woken up by the sound of azaan.
There have been several incidents of controversial content being found in Indian school textbooks in recent months. Excerpts from one textbook showed defining a figure measurement of 36-24-36 as the “best body shape for females”.
