Lies and half-truths in the name of national integration
A few days ago, while looking for something else, I chanced upon this site which has all the chapters of “The Story of Islamic Imperialism in India” by Sita Ram Goel.
I have not finished reading the chapters yet but two excerpts which hinted at an officially sanctioned policy of revising history caught my eye.
Here is the first one which has a quote from Mrs. Coomi Kapoor, summarising the guidelines prepared by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) in 1982. Mrs Kapoor is quoted as saying:
“History and Language textbooks for schools all over India will soon be revised radically. In collaboration with various state governments the Ministry of Education has begun a phased programme to weed out undesirable textbooks and remove matter which is prejudicial to national integration and unity and which does not promote social cohesion.“
I could not believe my eyes. So here was the official sanction to change history books so that social cohesion can be maintained - truth be damned.
The second excerpt hinted at another “NCERT guideline which proclaims that the conflict between Hindus and Muslims in medieval India shall be regarded as political rather than religious.”
In the words of Sita Ram Goel,
“There is no justification for such a characterisation of the conflict. The Muslims at least were convinced that they were waging a religious war against the Hindu infidels. The conflict can be regarded as political only if the NCERT accepts the very valid proposition that Islam has never been a religion, and that it started and has remained a political ideology of terrorism with unmistakable totalitarian trends and imperialist ambitions.”
So was it a religious or a political conflict? Perhaps it was both…
What is more unsettling though is the “guideline” by NCERT which appears only too willing to endorse lies and half-truths in the name of social cohesion and national integration.
Related Post:
Taj Mahal: The Biggest Whitewash in Indian History?
More on this subject.
1. From a Tribune news-story dated Aug 18 ‘06:
Uproar in RS over NCERT books
“…The Rajya Sabha was thrown into turmoil today as, particularly, the BJP-led opposition members, protested against the alleged distortions in NCERT school textbooks, including description of freedom fighter Balgangadhar Tilak as “terrorist”.
BJP members, led by Mr Ravi Shanker Prasad, were up on their feet waving copies of NCERT textbooks which, they said, allegedly termed Jat community as “marauders” and described Tilak a terrorist.
The BJP members were also joined in the protest by the members from Samajwadi Party, Left and Congress who said it was not an issue to be politicized and government should take the matter seriously and correct distortions.”
2. See also this excellent article by Nithin Sridhar “Indian History and ‘Avarana’ [Masking] of Truth by Marxists” published on ivarta earlier this month:
http://www.ivarta.com/columns/070709-Muslim-Destruction-Hinduism.htm
Comment by B Shantanu | July 20, 2007