English textbook for Class IX distorts facts about Swat

PESHAWAR: The English textbook of the ninth class published by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Textbook Board has distorted a number of facts about the scenic Swat valley.

The lesson titled “A Visit to Swat Valley” also has grammatical mistakes. An effort has been made to describe the natural beauty of Swat, but other facts have been distorted in the lesson.

The author of the chapter seems to be unaware of the geography of the province, especially the district about which he has written the essay. He says that the Swat valley starts after crossing “the last dangerous curve of Malakand Pass.” It is not true as the area beyond the Malakand Pass is Malakand district and not the district of Swat.

Another mistake made in the lesson is about opium poppy. It states: “Red poppies could be seen among the wheat fields and on the roofs of houses.”

In the same chapter in another paragraph, the writer says that they saw pretty little girls with their arms full of red poppies on the road. Poppies also find mention in yet another place in the essay as if it is a major crop of Swat. This isn’t true. No poppy is grown in Swat. Years ago poppy was grown in the neighbouring Buner district. But that is a thing of the past.

The book also talks about quaint forts located at very short distance from one another with heavy towers built on them. This correspondent is a frequent visitor to Swat valley and nowhere has he seen any poppy crop or a quaint fort in the whole district. The Textbook Board must have subject experts reviewing the book. They should take notice of this and stop feeding wrong information to the young students.