AMAN PREET SINGH Vs. GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Basing their rights as originating from the preamble of the Constitution and alleging violation of Articles 25 and 29, this Public Interest Litigation has been filed for issuance of appropriate directions for deleting the alleged derrogatory remarks regarding Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru of Sikhs, as have been incorporated at page 19 in the book "Modern India, A History Text Book for Class XII, Third Edition", published by National Council of Educational Research and Training (in short called as "NCERI"). The aforesaid book is prescribed in the schools of Central Board of Secondary Education (in short "CBSE') pattern throughout India and is authored by Shri Bipan Chandra, respondent No. 3.

(2.) It is alleged that the offending remarks are factually incorrect and intended to hurt the religious feelings of the Sikhs, who have rightly been claimed to be a part and parcel of the Indian polity.

(3.) The writ petition has been initiated at the instance of petitioner No. 1, who is a student of History, Class XII and petitioner No. 2, who claims to be a renowned poet of Punjabi, involved in constant research of Sikh history and particularly the life of Sikh Gurus. He claims to have written the life of Guru Nanak in the poetic form under the title "Sach Da Sooraj" besides other numerous poems, descriibing the lives of Sikh Gurus. The objectionable remarks have been reproduced in the petition, which read as under:-