Author: J S Rajput
Publication: India-Forum
Date: September 9, 2006
URL: http://www.india-forum.com/articles/147/1/Textbooks:-who-writes-and-for-whom?
The textbook debate in the Rajya Sabha brought
out the national concern beyond the Party lines. It is too naïve an assumption
that the debate has 'died without any perceptible effect' (Yogendra Yadav,
IE, Aug.30). A review committee has been constituted by MHRD. A new phase
of the debate has begun. It was sheer 'vindictive politics' when new textbooks
prepared during the period 2001-04 were summarily rejected and thrown out.
Till this date, none has informed the country of the much-maligned 'saffron'
contents of, say, textbooks in science and mathematics, or for that purpose,
in political science. How can some one simply justify new books by stating
that earlier books were 'boring? Most of these books were not used in classrooms
even for one or two years, during which as assessment and evaluation of their
suitability and inadequacies could have been made.
Nowhere, the continuity aspect of curriculum
renewal is ignored for non-educational considerations. If it were not so,
what was the need to get the much-lamented old history textbooks reprinted
in 2004 and send them to all the concerned schools for 'reference purposes'!
Why the paragraphs deleted in the year 2001 by the NCERT were retained in
these history books? What is wrong in bringing this to the notice of the people
of India through the Parliament of India? It needs reiteration that the Curriculum
Framewok-2000 was taken to the Supreme Court of India. The Highest Court of
the Country approved every recommendation that was challenged. Nothing was
found against the national values or against secularism. The chorus of 'saffronization'
and 'toxification' continued unabated. My colleagues and I felt vindicated.
The fact remains that for over three decades
the history books, laden with ideological objectives, were thrust upon the
country. A small coterie controlled 'everything' and never bothered even to
pay attention to the numerous fact-based representations. In 1996, Punjab
and Haryana High Court ordered deletion of certain content on Guru Govind
Singhji. Under pressure from eminent historians, NCERT went in appeal to the
Supreme Court. It was rejected at the admission stage. In 1999, when I arrived
on the scene, a similar case was pending in the same High Court. NCERT was
supposed to defend certain portions concerning Guru Teg Bahadur. I was sad
and shocked when I read the book. Sample a few lines: "…after his
return from Assam… the Guru has resorted to plunder and rapine, laying
waste the whole province of the Punjab. According to Sikh tradition, the execution
was due to the intrigues of some members of his family who disputed his succession
and others who joined them". We consulted several historians who found
the contents highly humiliating and distorted. We refused to defend it. This
is how it all began. There were no orders from any one to me. I own it. It
is another matter that the persecution continues. Is it history to teach children
that "Obviously, the mythology of the Tirthankars, most of whom were
born in the middle Ganga basin and attained nirvana there, seems to have been
created to give antiquity to Jainism." The Jats, too, were not spared:
"Another power that rose in this period in the region around Delhi, Agra
and Mathura was that of the Jats. They founded their Sate at Bharatpur wherefrom
they conducted plundering raids in the region around and participated in the
court intrigues in Delhi." People will not permit restoration of deliberately
distorted history writing any more. Let it be honestly admitted that facts
concerning Jains, Jats, Sikhs, freedom fighters and so many other aspects
of India's culture and heritage were distorted. These have to be corrected,
willingly or unwillingly.
Prem Chand and Tagore must be taught to our
children. But let it be submitted that it is the pre-requisite on the part
of the curriculum developers and the textbook writers to know the basics of
these two highly specialized tasks: to relate the contents to the age of the
learner, stage of learning and his/her capacity to assimilate and absorb.
Are there no writings of Prem Chand and Tagore, which do not contain abuses
or unparliamentary words? They should know better. It appears so simple to
state that the Political Science textbook of Class XII is yet to be written,
so why worry? The shape of things to come is already evident on page 108 of
the new textbook of class IX "Democratic Politics". A collage on
Gujarat riots on the top of the page includes "A Rights Violation, Says
Congress". Only Congress. Even the trusted CPI (M) stands ignored! Not
only this, the box below on National Human Rights Commission reads: "A
large number of cases were filed in the courts against those accused of rioting
and massacre of nearly 200o persons, mostly Muslims". I am keen to read
how 'faithfully' the Emergency, the 1984 riots and the 1969 riots of Gujarat
and so many other riots and scandals shall be inflicted upon the young children
of India. Anyone with even a peripheral-proximity with pedagogy knows how
arduous a task every textbook writer faces in selecting content: to delete
what is outdated and include the selected aspects of current and future needs.
NCERT faculty has the expertise. It has prepared experts within India and
outside India. Some probably could not be brought in this ambit!
Having served NCERT as a full Professor for
thirty years, I should be familiar with the known detractors of this organization.
Never before, the role of its own faculty was so marginalized as in the current
context. Peruse the list of any of the textbook advisory committee and everything
would be evident and clear. Not a single chairperson, chief advisor or adviser
is from within the organization. Even the memberships of such committees tell
the same story. Yes, member-coordinator in each case is from within the organization.
They know what they are supposed to look after. Are there no 'best brains'
in the NCERT in any of the subject area? Should this national neglect be inflicted
on an organization which was created to be the best in the assigned area and
which certainly has lived up to the nation's expectations without an iota
of doubt?
It takes decades to create an outstanding
institution but only days and months to demoralize anyone of them.
