"Why Should We Teach About Riots In School Textbooks?": NCERT Director On Removal Of Babri Masjid And Ayodhya References
NCERT director Dinesh Prasad Saklani defended the changes made in the textbooks and said that the purpose of education is to create positive citizens not violent and depressed individuals. While talking to the PTI the NCERT chief referred to the changes made regarding the Gujarat riots and Babri Masjid demolition. Recently, the NCERT textbooks have been updated with several omissions and alterations. Notably, this is the fourth round of revision of NCERT textbooks since 2014.
“Teaching about the riots in school textbooks would not have a positive impact on the students and create violent and depressed individuals”, he said. He further added, “Why should we teach about riots in school textbooks?”.
The revised Class 12 political science textbook has changed the Ayodhya section from four to two pages, removed references to BJP’s ‘rath yatra’ from Somnath to Ayodhya, involvement of ‘Kar Sevaks’, communal unrest following the demolition of Babri Masjid, deleted the Babri Masjid’s name and referred it as ‘Three-dome Structure’, imposition of President’s rule in the BJP governed states and BJP’s regret about the events in Ayodhya.
On the question of an alleged attempt to saffronize the syllabus, the NCERT Director said that if something is outdated, it should be updated and changed. History is taught to provide factual information to the students instead of turning it into a battleground, he asserted. There are no attempts to saffronize curriculum, everything that is included is based on the evidence and facts.
Referring to the inclusion of Ram temple and Ram Janmbhoomi, the NCERT chief said that if the Supreme Court has given its verdict, should it not be included in our textbooks? What is the problem with that? he asked. “We have included the new updates”, he said. We must include both the ancient as well as the recent developments in the textbooks, the director said.
He countered the saffronisation argument by questioning the wrongfulness of the decision. If the Indians were way ahead in metallurgical science and If we are teaching about iron pillar in Mehrauli, How can it be saffronisation? he asked.
The NCERT curriculum is followed by about 30,000 schools affiliated with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).
