Etiology Of Communal Hatred:Saffronising The School Curriculum
By
Sumit Paul, New Age Islam
18 June
2024
Rejecting accusations of attempts being made to
saffronise the school curriculum, National Council of Educational
Research and Training (NCERT) director Dinesh Prasad Saklani said, “Why should
we teach about riots in school textbooks?” He said references to Gujarat riots
and Babri Masjid demolition were modified in school textbooks because teaching
about riots “can create violent and depressed citizens”.
“Should we teach our students in a manner that
they become offensive, create hatred in society or become victims of hatred? Is
that education’s purpose? Should we teach about riots to such young children...
when they grow up, they can learn about it, but why in schools. Let them
understand what happened and why it happened when they grow up. The hue and cry
about the changes is irrelevant,” Saklani said.
Why should
we deprive children of knowing about the Gujarat riots in February 2002 and the
unfortunate demolition of Babri mosque on December 6, 1992? These are extremely
important episodes in India's modern history because both the events redefined
the text and texture of contemporary Indian history.
The
etiology of communal hatred lies in these two epochal incidents. One can
understand that if the kids are below the age of 15 and are students of class
5th or 6th, these disturbing and complex issues can be avoided. But students,
studying in class 12, are mature enough to know and understand certain things
which a communal government like the current one may perceive as unnecessary
and risky.
The silly
logic that the kids will know when they grow up holds no water. Going by this
logic that they'll know when they grow up, why do children go to schools and
colleges? They'll learn at the right time! This is passing the buck.
This
government is distorting and diluting Indian history. Muslim rulers are being
demonised and Hindu kings and leaders are being deified.
In
Maharashtra, Shivaji and his unremarkable son Sambhaji are being projected as
the saviours of Hinduism who thwarted the juggernaut of the marauding Mughals.
Aurangabad in Maharashtra has been renamed as Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj
Nagar! Students read these eulogies and hagiographies in the textbooks.
It's time
for the likes of erudite and unbiased historians, viz, Romila Thapar, Sumit
Sarkar, Irfan Habib, among others to raise their voices in unison and stop
further distortion and dilution of history by the unscrupulous Sanatanis and
the proponents of Hindutva.
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A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in
comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed
articles to the world's premier publications in several languages including
Persian.
URL: https://newageislam.com/interfaith-dialogue/saffronising-school-curriculumcommunal-hatred/d/132524
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