from Ares
for Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji (GA)

Panaji, Jun 19: A picture of French commander Henry Navare smoking cigarette in the tenth standard book of National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has irked the anti-tobacco non-government organization (NGO).

The National Organisation for Tobacco Eradication (NOTE), an anti-tobacco NGO, has expressed shock and pain to find the illustration of a smoking man in the social science text book prescribed by NCERT for class tenth in the State.

The NGO has pointed out that history lesson number two on nationalist movement in Indo-China in its sub-chapter 'The Communist Movements and Vietnamese Nationalism' has shown French commander Henry Navare puffing a cigarette.

“It is ironical that on one end after repeated pestering the Central government is attempting to enlighten the citizens about the menace of tobacco and on the other hand its own education department is oblivious to the clandestine propagation of smoking habit,” NOTE general secretary Dr Shekhar Salkar has said in a letter dashed to NCERT.

The NGO, which  is active in anti-tobacco movement, has earlier filed petition against Big B Amitabh Bachchan for his poster with cigar and had even objected to Shahrukh Khan’s alleged smoking in public places and cricketer Shane Warne’s smoking on the ground during Indian Premier league (IPL).

Salkar has requested NCERT to take immediate cognizance of this illustrations which is likely to influence the unsuspecting students in their adolescents. 

“Kindly impress upon the authority to withdraw the said illustration with immediate effect and issue fresh text book with improved content,” the letter, which is also forwarded to union health minister A Ramadoss, states.