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. ---- 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 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism