TMB Report
Imphal: Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) Vice-President Hareshwar Goshwami has strongly decried the alteration of certain portions in the NCERT syllabus of the school text books from Classes VI to XII by the present BJP led-Central Government terming it as a saffronisation of syllabus and a bid to establish a facist nation.
Talking to media persons at a press conference held at Rishang Keishing Media Centre, Congress Bhawan here on Tuesday, MPCC Vice-President Hareshwar Goshwami said that the distorted/altered syllabus is to be implemented from the forthcoming academic session to attain its long-cherished objective to choke democratic values in the country.
NCERT was established as an autonomous body in 1961 to assist and advise both the Central and State Governments on policies and programme for improvement of qualitative school education. However, NCERT is no more an autonomous body since the formation of Textbook Revision Committee in 2021 with the appointment of former ISRO chief K. Kasturirangan as Chairman, he maintained.
He said that the distortion covers almost all subjects ranging from history, geography, social science, science and mathematics etc. The distorted/dropped items mostly related to history, democratic values and individual rights of the country.
History part-I under chapter V of Class VI ‘Kingdoms, Kings and an Early Republic, has been partly dropped and full chapter of science and political life-I under Chapter 4 ‘Key Elements of a Democratic Government has been removed/dropped. For Class VII, the distortion covers five subjects such as ‘New kings and Kingdoms (Chapter 2) and ‘The Delhi Sultans (Chapter-3) under the Heading Our Past-ll was either dropped elsewhere’ or dropped ‘full pages.
He said that for Class VIll, the alteration covers five subjects which can mention Chapter 1 as ‘The Indian Constitution under Social and Political Life-III and another distortion under the heading Our Past-III, Chapter-9 titled as ‘The Making of National Movement; 1870s-1947 (dropped elsewhere) and Chapter 10 ‘India after Independence (dropped full chapter). He said that for Class IX, out of eight subjects four were altered or distorted elsewhere and for Class X, out of seven subjects or topics, Chapter 3 titled as ‘Democracy and Diversity, Chapter-5 ‘Popular Struggles and Movements’, Chapter-6 ‘Political Parties’, Chapter 8 ‘Challenges to Democracy were dropped full Chapter. In Class XI, there are about twenty-eight subjects on different themes/topics which are affected by the so-called rationalization. He said that the fully dropped topics under the title Themes in world history include Theme-I: ‘From the Beginning of Time, Theme 4: The Central Islamic Lands, Theme 8: Confrontation of Cultures, Theme 9: The Industrial Revolution, he said.
Under the subject Political theory, the chapters such as Chapter 9: Peace; Chapter 10: Development; Chapter:19 ‘Individual Responsibilities and Rights’ under the heading ‘Human Ecology and Family Sciences-part-Il have also been fully dropped. In Class XIl, almost all subjects are affected in one way or other for this class,too. However, removal of full chapter under Theme 9: Kings and Chronicles; the Mughal Courts (C), Hareshwar added.
Hareshwar further stated that sixteen-seventeenth centuries) is a visible indicator of the ulterior motive of the un-secular BJP/RSS. Further, under the subject, practical work in geography-Part I, Chapter-3: ‘Social Institutions: Continuity and Change, Chapter-5: Patterns of Social Inequality and Exclusion, Chapter-6: The Challenges of Cultural Diversity are either altered, amended or dropped.
While pointing out some visible indicators of the hidden agenda of the BJP, he said that alteration or removal of ‘Kingdoms, Kings and an early republic from the syllabus of Class VI and new Kings and Kingdoms, The Delhi Sultans from Class VIl syllabus as well as Kings and Chronicles; The Mughal Courts from Class Xll syllabus are indicator of BJPs divisive policy and intolerance. It is a clear attempt to re-write history with fascist inks, he added.
Hareshwar maintained saying that removal of few chapters on the making of ‘National Movement and India after Independence’ from the syllabus of Class VIll are nothing but to conceal the true color of BJP-RSS who were against the national movement. By removing this chapter, BJP intention is to expunge the role of Indian National Congress during the freedom struggle and the post-independence period to build up a new India. And complete removal of the Chapter: I that is ‘Key Elements of Democratic Government’ from the syllabus of Class VI and Democracy and Diversity; Political Parties and Challenges from Democracy from Class X syllabus is nothing but to establish fascist government by murdering democracy, said MPCC vice-president.
Poiting out on further examination of the distortion/removal of syllabus, the NCERT dropped certain portions on Mahatama Gandhi and his pursuit of Hindu-Muslim unity. He said that the saffron party never want to see Hindu-Muslim unity and peaceful co-existence. Mentioned may be made that Gandhi was assassinated by Nathuram Godse who was closely associated with RSS. As a follow up action, RSS was banned. Now, the BJP wants to distort history to conceal their heinous past. In short it is an attempt to Whitewash Sangh’s anti-India past, he added.
Referring to the Gujarat riots, he said that the publishing authority dropped references to Gujarat riots in which Prime Minister Modi was involved. Because, Zakia Jafri widow of Congress MP Ehsan Jafri who along with 68 others killed in Gulberg society complex files complaint against PM Modi and others about the larger conspiracy behind the 2002 Gujarat riots on June 8, 2006. Without proper trial and procedures, Modi was given clean chit on June 24, 2022 when he was well in power. The reference of Godhra riots has been dropped from Class XII sociology textbook titled “Understanding Society’, he further added.
Hareshwar said that a few Dalit writers from Class VI textbook have been dropped. And topics like ‘Industrial Revolution’ have been removed from Class XI textbook. From Class XIl text books topics like ‘Patterns of Social Inequality’ and Exclusion, the Changes of Cultural Diversity etc, were also either altered, amended or dropped. He said that the distortion of history and strangulation of democracy may be considered as the signal of ‘Ghettoization’ process towards establishment of a fascist State.
MPCC General Secretary H. Meghachandra Mangang and MPCC Secretary L. Chandrakumar were also present during a press conference.
