Deleting history: Is BJP in a hurry?

This should not be surprising if the NCERT has changed its textbooks. In an era of collapsed institutions, how can one expect the NCERT to do something different? People are angry because they still believe that institutions can work as per their mandate and that a change of government would not affect their functioning. People should also not consider it an act of irrationality on the part of the NCERT.

The changes were not unexpected at all. The NCERT wanted to remove the presence of Muslims from India’s story of nationhood. It also had to whitewash the negative role played by Hindutva forces in the freedom struggle. The deleted items testify to it.

The list of deleted items includes ‘Kings and Chronicles; the Mughal Courts (C. 16th and 17th centuries)’, ‘American Hegemony in World Politics’ and ‘The Cold War Era’, ‘Rise of Popular Movements and ‘Era of One-Party Dominance, Democracy and Diversity’, ‘Popular Struggles and Movements’, ‘Challenges of Democracy’, Central Islamic Lands’, ‘Clash of Cultures’, and ‘Industrial Revolution’.

If one fails to see the ideological narrative of the whole exercise, he should be allowed to live in his paradise. The move by NCERT cannot be understood without keeping in mind the contemporary political context. The immediacy with which it has been done also needs decoding. The Modi government is finding it hard to make a case for another term in 2024. The failing health of the economy, with a high rate of unemployment, price rises, and scams such as Adani’s shell companies, is making it difficult day by day. The only option available for the BJP is to revive its communal agenda.

The Mughals are important so far as the anti-Muslim narrative is concerned. The two important icons of medieval history, Shiva Ji and Maharana Pratap, belong to the Mughal era. The story of their bravery and suffering to preserve their independence is a saga known to every Indian. These stories inspired Indians long before the RSS was born. The RSS has been accusing historians of ignoring Hindu icons and promoting Muslim rulers. They must understand that the place of the Mughals in Indian history has not been ensured by leftist historians. The uninterrupted rule of the Mughals from 1526 A.D. to 1857 gives them an unenviable position in the history of the Indian subcontinent. Their rule can only be compared with that of the Mauryas and Guptas. The extent of the influence they exerted over the subcontinent is too huge to be treated lightly. The era witnessed all round development in economy, technology, literature, and culture. The Indian story of dominating the world scene is incomplete without the Mughals.

Are the BJP and the RSS not aware of it? Of course, they are. The fact that they are fighting the long-lost empire is a testimony to the recognition the Sangh Parivar gives to the Mughals. However, the immediate reason for taking such steps is to revive an anti-Muslim tirade and polarize people. This is part of othering a particular community. The BJP and the RSS have another target: associating liberals with Muslims.

The exercise also has another dimension. Hindutva has its ideological roots in colonialism. The British divided India’s history into Hindu, Muslim, and Modern periods. Communalists among both Hindus and Muslims endorse this division. Fundamentalists in Pakistan trace their history of Pakistan to the invasion of Sindh by Mohammad bin Kasim. They eulogise Aurangzeb. However, rational people in the same country oppose the idea. There has been a strong trend toward creating new narratives around people like Dara Shikoh.

The Sangh Parivar picks up its old quarrel with secularism every now and then. When we look at other deletions in the books, the matter becomes clearer. The deletion of Godse as Brahmin and removing the references to banning the RSS after Gandhi’s murder show its obsession. The RSS had dissociated with Godse at the time of Gandhi’s murder and remained at a safe distance from VD Savarkar after independence. They are desperate to associate with the ideology of Savarkar and want to glorify Godse without directly associating with him. The Parivar has been in a war against Gandhi even after his death but can afford only a proxy war.

This is the reason why the NCERT has removed matters related to Gandhi’s murder and has not mentioned it in the list. When the deletions were noticed, they came with a ridiculous excuse.

"In view of the Covid-19 pandemic, it was felt imperative to reduce the content load on students. The National Education Policy 2020 also emphasizes reducing the content load and providing opportunities for experiential learning with a creative mindset. In this background, the NCERT had undertaken the exercise to rationalize the textbooks across all classes and all subjects. Learning Outcomes already developed by the NCERT across classes had been taken into consideration in this exercise," says the NCERT.

The pandemic has long subsided and all the activities in schools and colleges have since been restored. Who is going to believe this logic of rationalization? People will ask why only particular kinds of items were chosen. The NCERT is on very weak ground and has overtly hinted at the real reason by referring to the ‘content, which is irrelevant in the present context’.

The context becomes all the more clear when we find the removal of chapters such as ‘Democracy and Diversity’, ‘Popular Struggles and Movements’, and ‘Challenges of Democracy'. The Sangh Parivar has been at odds with parliamentary democracy. It does not believe in the kind of democracy the Indian Constitution proposes. The removal has been done at a time when the BJP and Sangh Parivar are adamant about implementing the kind of politics they endorse. During this regime, we can see the end of federalism and the rise of centralized power. The ideology only favours one religion, one language, and one nation and opposes decentralization of economy and polity.

(The author is a senior journalist. He has experience of working with leading newspapers and electronic media including Deccan Herald, Sunday Guardian, Navbharat Times and Dainik Bhaskar. He writes on politics, society, environment and economy)