The authorities in Comrat are proposing that Chisinau withdraw the new history textbooks for the 12th grade on the grounds that they would "distort" some historical aspects and make "denigrating" references to the Gagauz autonomy, IPN correspondent in Comrat reports.
Public consultations on the issue were organized by local administration and education specialists in Comrat on February 28. Participants at the meeting said that the content of the new textbook would create a "strong belief" that Moldova is "something temporary".
"It is as if the best life, all that has lived and all that awaits us is in our warm, native Romania," said Gheorghe Leiciu, deputy chairman of the People's Assembly of Gagauzia.
Socialist faction member Piotr Fazli described as "outrageous" the fact, described in the textbook, that Romanian and German soldiers "liberated Bessarabia". Fazli was also outraged by the "contemptuous" way in which the initiative to create the Gagauz autonomy was presented.
The Deputy Chairman of the People's Assembly of Comrat, the Gagauz Department for Education and the Scientific Research Center have drawn up a project to "counteract the distortion of historical facts". The document provides for the development of teaching materials for the subject "History of Gagauzia and the Gagauz people".
In addition, the Committee considers it necessary to develop methodological recommendations on the use of the textbook "History of Romanians and Universal History" in accordance with "scientific and historical principles".
The authors of the resolution consider that the textbook should better describe the Holocaust, expand the information "about the repressive policy of Royal Romania against other ethnic groups" in the Republic of Moldova, as well as include information "about Antonescu's plans to cleanse Bugevac of Gagauz and displace them to Transnistria".
The request to withdraw the new history textbook will be sent from Comrat to Minister Dan Perciun.
