People's Democracy

THE Indian History Congress (IHC) notes that on October 23, 2001, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) issued a circular to all heads of institutions affiliated to CBSE, requiring that certain passages in NCERT textbooks written by Professors Romila Thapar, Arjun Dev and Indira Arjun Dev, R S Sharma and Satish Chandra be deleted with immediate effect, directing that these "are not to be taught in the respective classes or discussed in the classroom." It also notes that despite expression of public outrage at this unprecedented action, the action has been so strongly supported by the minister of human resource development and the director, NCERT, as to lead to the suspicion that the order originated from the government. The Indian History Congress also notes that the minister has propounded the principle of getting history textbooks approved by religious leaders, and spoken of historians whom he dislikes as "intellectual terrorists" whose activities are more dangerous than "trans-border terrorism." It cannot also be overlooked that the minister of HRD is encouraging a narrative of history which is at best speculative and often invokes mere belief and mythology rather than valid historical evidence.

The Indian History Congress recalls and reiterates the resolution it had passed at the last session in opposing the NCERT’s document on school curriculum with its emphasis on instruction in religion, which is ultra vires of the constitution, and its promotion of a biased selective history.

It is clear that the steps now being taken by such authorities under the ministry as the NCERT and the CBSE are precisely what were presaged by the curriculum document. The NCERT has not only dispensed with the existing history textbooks from the next year, but given the work of writing new ones to persons whom it has refused to name. This does not augur well for the quality and authenticity of the new textbooks.

The IHC deplores the entire project of deleting important facts from history and inserting imaginary or mythological ones in the name of "religious values." The practice of bans and proscriptions should be totally unacceptable in a free country, and can only be promoted by those who feel that an open debate is not conducive to their own views of the past. It is particularly sad that our country’s own good name is being affected by such actions.

The IHC calls upon all educational authorities in India, which are not subject to CBSE, to reject the changes in the curriculum and textbooks, and the deletions in history, made by NCERT and CBSE, and make only such changes in curriculum and teaching material as are required by the need for updating so as to keep pace with new funds of knowledge, in conformity with scientific and unbiased treatment of history.