Textbook Questions

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Thanks for the article...I was told about the jehadi mathematics that was being taught in the madarsas....but this is really dangerous................I think this is a real mess- I cannot see Pakistan coming out of it for atleast another decade. It would remain the breeding ground for the jehadis!!!

This is ridiculous. How can the government defend such acts? Does anyone know what percentage of students study in government schools in Pakistan? Are most of these books for government schools or for private ones as well?
It seems that the fundoo`s are now taking the next step i.e. moving from the madressas to government schools. This crap has to stop otherwise this cancer will spread like crazy.
I guess the people who supported the MMA are delighted now......

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There is a message here for the dictator and his stooges that if army wishes to survive as a political entity is Paksitan:

Hands off Madrassahs

Hands off curriculum

The message is simple, that your masters will only support you until you become a political liability for them, however, you have to live with us, no matter what. If army wants to change peoples` perception of it as a foreign stooge that oppresses and kills its own people whom it is supposed to protect and serve then it must stop this dictator and his minions from interfering in these matters.

My only comment after seeing 4 + years of debate on this textbook issue is - the only thing certain chowkies are good for is for drowning yourselves in the Indus or Chenab or Sutlej or Jhelum(your choice). Chullu bhar pani is also recommended. And making your moonh kaala beforehand is appropriate procedure.

We tend to look at the things from our own ideological glasses. I think in every country fundamentalists have as much rights as the liberals to influence the society in whatever way they can. We see this here in the US and other democratic countries too. If I were to ask a Christian fundamentalist in the US, he would have a laundry list of complaints against the education, text books and educational institutions in the US.

We can argue that what is being dished out in Pakistan is wrong and that will just produce more fundamentalist. This precisely is the goal of the fundamentalist. What is the point of showing some empty hatred and restating the obvious?
Their methods are crude but then how much political training others have in Pakistan?

We should really treat opposition to fundos attempt to change the text books as a political struggle now. If we insist that text books should reflect liberal and secular teaching then fundos have the right to influence that process too.
Writing editorials and making people aware of the fundos goals and stupidity is a good method. Cringing, bitching and moaning about life in Pakistan is dense.

Fundamentalists have as much rights in a country as any other group. In some countries they fail to assert and in some they do. Pak is in the later group. We should oppose the violent methods that they use to fight their political battles. But then again, haven’t we seen left, liberals, and communists taking up arms to further their cause in the past?

A closer look at the questions will reveal that their context and the references that they have seem very out of place for a student six or seven years of age. It should be noted that in most cases other than the content and contextual references, the language itself was riddled with wrong diction and grammatical inconsistencies.

wouldn`t these questions be extremely out of place for any student/person of any age? i personally would be more concerned with the content than with wrong diction and grammatical inconsistencies.

HP: so what exactly are you defending here? the right for such textbooks to have questions like these?

This education technique can be used positively too to reform societies:

Q1: If Hamid beaten his wife only once and he is in 3rd layer of hell, where will Shahzad go if he beat his wife 2 times a week?

Q2: If Maulana A eats 6 pounds of halwa each day, and his cholestrol is 350, what would be cholestrol level of Maulana B if he eats 3 pounds of kheer each day?

Q3: Rashid stole Minhaj`s bicyle and he was sentenced 3 years of imprisonment for that. If you stole Sameer`s scooter, how many years will you be sentenced in jail?

HP Wrote: If we insist that text books should reflect liberal and secular teaching then fundos have the right to influence that process too

Fundos have a right to influence that process too!!!!! You really think that what was written in the article above is ok for children to study? Would you want your kids to study such things?

Has anyone done anything about it in Pakistan. I guess not as all the fundoos need to do is to grease someone palm and get away with whatever they want.

sadna ... don`t leave out the nile ... that river in egypt ...
(sorry, couldn`t resist)

I think what`s most important in this context is the participation of parents in running government schools. They are the biggest stakeholders since future of their kids is in question. Unless change comes through actual empowerment of people, it cannot be permanent. What’s happening is a shift of government policy due to US pressure. This has nothing to do with Musharraf’s vision, because he doesn’t have one. Thanks.

Let us add the importance of birth control to textbooks from the Inter level......

Interesting article, as always. Questions which come to mind . . .

1) What does it say that is/was new? Or did the Pakistani media therein pick up a Pakistani textbook for the first time?

2) Who gives publicity to the fringe ````more conservative and obscurantist elements in society````, if not the Pakistani media?

3) If a Mullah Sandwich has a total of 7 participants, then what is the maximum number of insertions possible and in how many orifices?

Hoooold on a sec....what`s wrong with this question? Why was it deleted?

* Question on page 21, ex. 2.1: In the month of Ramadan Ali
spent 327 rupees on Rooh Afza, 123 rupees on dates and 246 rupees
on fruit for Iftar. Find the total amount he spent on Iftar.
(Deleted in new edition)

This is nothing!

When the grown-ups go through the mental torture in professional schools reading the repeated rubbish on Kashmir and other issues then who cares about grade ii students. In Pakistan, professional schools are forced to include both Pakistan Studies and Islamic Studies throughout their 4 year course-curriculum. The attendance in these classes is close to nothing. In my times, students only attended these subjects to get their attendance in black and white and leave without any delay or excuse. These subjects should be optional vs. compulsory. No one should be forced to attend a class or a subject they have little interest in. Oh, how I wish the visionaries, who cared to insult the intellect of their youth by including the episodes from god forsaken times in the curriculum of engineering, are penalized. They should be held accountable for wasting our precious 240 - 300 hours that could have been invested elsewhere. Truly valuing time in minutes, hours, days and years has never been inherent in the nature of that system. Still, I wanted to highlight the agony suffered by the youth.

... I meant ``Islamic Republic of Egypt`` ...

sattar2 #18 #13
Yes yes the Nile will do.

It is hard to believe the govt is so desperate. Is this a joke?

And aren`t those rather big numbers for little children in class II to add, subtract, multiply(with carry) AND divide. There is something black in the lentils.

The funny part of the whole textbook thingy is that the Jihad is being preached in Pakistani schools to grade 2 students, but actually it is in shining India where Advanis, Joshis and Modis kill innocent minorities, run scotch free and even get elected to power by the extremist Indians having their adequate share of representation on this website.

sadna -- i have no idea what you`re talking about, much of time u sound quite confused and dont know how to deal with a situation where a pakistani himself has written an article like this --
nooralain -- yes prob the questions r bad for any age but the context has to do with primary school books hence that specific reference

veeresh sahib -- u need to go see a psychologist -- seriously -- no offence -- because your obsession with what the pakistan does and doesnt do is only matched by your obsession with doing walkabouts

DullaBhatti # 11

HA. HA. HA. Those were hilarious.

Omar

Thanks for sharing this Islamised version of Maths.

re:#20 by ahmadzai
Hey Mullah,
Read and weep:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_10-6-2004_pg7_26
Excerpts:
``Supporting the idea of suicide attacks, he said Muslim youth would continue to wage jihad against the neo-imperialism of the US; they would blow up their own bodies with bombs. He questioned whether the September 11, 2001 attacks in New York and Washington had been planned by the US itself with the motive to create hostility for Muslims.``
Maulana Sami and you seem to share the same delusions. Perhaps u both smoke the same stuff that is peddled across the Afghan border.
Sridhar

#17 by vertex on June 9, 2004 8:38pm PT

I presume you can figure out what is wrong with the rest of them.

The system of prescribed texts should be abolished. Now Congress party is in power and they desafronize books, later BJP party is back in power and they Safronize books. Making and remaking of books is such a waste.

Why not the schools be allowed to select their own texts or write them with their own resources (like teachers, computers, copiers etc -- most schools have these, dont they?).

Or may be they can send out a list of books in each topic and let parents select texts democratically. Alternatively such process may be adopted at district level if at individual school level the process is considered costly or not accountable to wider public.

Once texts are selected either a department of scholastic evaluation (which could be in Ministry of Education) will do the testing of students at year end. Or a sister school might be selected by every school for this purpose.

hilarious but apparently true nazar sahib - in fact i mentioned only a few of the questions -- there were many many more

addendum to post 21: address to veeresh sahib -- should NOT read ``obsession with what the pakistan does and doesnt do`` but rather ``obsession with what the pakistan MEDIA does and doesnt do``

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#20 by ahmadzai

[The funny part of the whole textbook thingy blah blah blah..]

Even funnier is the fact how your pajama catches fire the moment someone (esp. an Indian) points out an obvious flaw in your land of the (not-so) pure.

yes, sadna, lets not forget though that the previous BJP govt made it state policy to rewrite (or saffronize as they say) India`s textbooks -- here at least the pak. govt is finally trying to do the opposite --

ahmedzai, the only way to deal with extremists anywhere is to take the battle to them -- unfortunately on chowk it doesnt happen --

re:#11 by dullabhatti
Ha, ha.
Here is more:

1. If one haseesh cigarette has 200 puffs and Mullah Omar takes 10 puffs in an hour, how long will it takes for him to smoke the entire cigarette?

2. If Indian soldiers kill jehadis at the rate of 50 per month, how long will it take the Indian Army to exterminate the jehadi vermins, assuming there are a total of 5000 vermins?

3. If Mushy the dictator bent over at an angle of 30 degrees to please Uncle Sam this time but could please him only 50 percent, to what degree should he bend over now to please Uncle Sam 100%?

4. If Mullah Sami touches his forehead 5 times during every Namaaz and is a devout muslim (doing 5 times Namaaz a day), how big will be the callus on his forehead at the end of 1 month, assuming 50 contacts with the ground produces a callus of 1 mm thick?
Sridhar

ballu the bear:

duh, yes. I presume you can figure out that the particular one I pointed out was in quite strange company....somehow I doubt it...

``.....The Quran would still be the place to go in times of spiritual or ethical turbulence/uncertainty, but scholarship of Quran should not be mandatory to be a good Muslim.......:``

You have raised an important point which most of us forget- one can still be a ``good`` and ``civilized`` person in contemporary civil societies even if one is not a practicing muslim. The fact that a namazi mullah can be a scoundral and a criminal needs to be accepted by us psychologically- This is important when we would like to separate the issue of `public morality` of what is `good` and `civil` in public living from what is `good` and `civil` as per the religious books.

O Omar está no hábito de abusar outros quando tudo mais fracassa. É um revolucionário verdadeiro como a roda de fundo de um ciclo seguindo a asa frontal só.

Habla Portugese Senor?

The Omar is in the habit of abuse others when everything more fracassa. It is a true revolutionary as the wheel of bottom of a cycle following the wing frontal alone.

welcome to yet another paki-indian love fest! please leave all weapons including your boxing gloves and your brains here. it`s my word is better than your word, and my des is better than your des. and you rotten scum don`t deserve to live jao kisi darya main doob maro. . . . .

velcome, velcome, free of charge. paise rakkho. tamasha dekho!

harish-hyd:

``Even funnier is the fact how your pajama catches fire the moment someone (esp. an Indian) points out an obvious flaw in your land of the (not-so) pure.``

Ha ha ha. But I am already laughing at how fundoo Indoos come out of their mama`s saree taking advantage of virtual world and trying to score browny points against Pakistanis when an article like this one is posted on Chowk.

:-D

Pundit rsridhar at # 26:

I knew what would be going on in your mind after reading my post - burn a Muslim to death with full blessing of sriAdvani or sriModi.

#24 by einsteinwallah , and Ahmedzai

Could you please post something regarding BJP saffronization. I mean real examples, so we can kind of compare whats the deal? No allegations like ``these books teach hatred towards muslims`` etc. Real examples will be helpful. you may want to avoid sabrang or sahmat commie websites, as they dont contain real examples, just allegations and innuendo

thanks

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Omar at # 30:

Thanks for the comment. I admire your taking fundoo Indoos head on, but I think that by now you must have learned that Chowk is not exactly the right forum for posting critiquing articles on Pakistan like this one.

Btw, at home, my family`s firm support to the present Government is exactly because of the same reason - to take the battle to the extremist elements in Pakistan, something which the Governments of Nawaz and BB could have never done due to the following reasons:

1. Their populist agenda
2. Their valid fear for the backlash. Example: military struck terrorists in Waziristan yesterday. The terrorists first threatened of a revenge through Nek Mohammad and then struck back in Karachi today.

Ahmadzai #41,

``something which the Governments of Nawaz and BB could have never done due to the following reasons:

1. Their populist agenda ...``

Meaning that confronting extremism is analogous to going against popular will. Not a
very pleasant scenario, is it ?

arjun at 39 and 40:

Tut tut. Your intellectual masterbation may please other gay fundoo Indoos on this site, but it does not impress me.

Most of your civilized world also believed that Iraq had WMD, that Macedonia had killed 6 Pakistani terrorists not the economic migrants, that Italians and Kenyans also arrested Al Qaeda Pakistanis (only to be realeased later along with release of many Pakistanis from Guatanamo Bay after proving innocent), etc.

The perception of people about a thief that he is actually a saint (and vice versa) may hold good for a while, but in the end reality does come out.

Btw, today Shanghai Cooperation Organization has given an in principle agreement to give membership to Pakistan.

:-)

plats8 at 42:

Nawaz and BB did not have the guts to challenge militant minority. Taking on a militant minority does not mean challenging Islamic democratic parties like JUI of Fazal ur Rahman.

omar_r_quraishi
My posts were not addressed to you. And I have read other such articles by Pakistanis some of which have been published on chowk.

The fact that some adults felt the need to teach 7-years old to count corpses is however totally new. These adults had to believe they are fighting the final battle before armageddon if they thought it appropriate to teach children of war and death even in class 2 math. Thats got to be the earliest possible age, because surely in class I most children prefer to be either playing, crying for their moms or asking to go to the bathroom.

If this sort of slant even in math. (and not restricted to history and languages) is a new development, then it might be worth looking into who wrote the textbooks/who approved them/ who got the contract to publish, and put the responsibility where it specifically lies.

If this has been a generally accepted norm for several years, then there is nothing to say.

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Ahmadzai,

Right now 3 Pakistanis are under trial in Australia for terrorism charges linked to Lahskar-e-Taiba. Nine Americans have already been convicted of LeT links.

Madrid bombings, Turkey bombings, Indonesia bombings all trace back to Pakistan. Your own former ISI chief Jaed Nasir gave a written affidavit to court on how the ISI gave material support to Jihadis from Chechnya to Bosnia during his term.

All these terrors links are not from America alone. It is from nations that opposed the Iraq war too.

Get used to it bachu. Today, Pakistan = Terrorism. So what if Musharraf bends over for Unkil.

#41 by ahmadzai
``Btw, at home, my family`s firm support to the present Government is exactly because ...``

i have seen this kind of language from many pakistani chowkies. is it common in pakistan for families to vote-support as a block? how does it work? does this mean neuclear family, extended family, clan or the whole jirga? is it also common in urban areas?

#48 by arjun_m

Once the ``hunt`` in Pakistan is over, will they go home? :) You have to be too naïve to think that they will. Thanks.

Ahmadzai #44,

``Nawaz and BB did not have the guts to challenge militant minority.``

Again, not what you said. You said their ``populist agenda`` (which, by the way,
any democratically elected govt would have) would prohibit them from
chasing militants. Nothing to do with guts - this would actually mean that the
population doesn`t want them to confront militants. They`d have to respect this
mandate.

arjun_m,
``Maybe you need to acquaint yourself with the logical fallacies...Or you can continue to live in denial.... ``

I suggest you review the ``Appeal to Force`` section...might makes right, hey nah?

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arjun: ``Let`s get one thing clear...Most Pakistanis don`t oppose the jihadi ideology....Most of the few trying to ``clean up`` the books are doing it because the textbooks give Pakiland a bad rep and makes their already-lookued-upon-as-terrorists existence in the US just a tad more uncomfortable....sure there are a few people who really believe in cleaning up the books for the right reasons, but most still believe in the jihadi ideology...If that weren`t true, you`d have read a lot more against it before 9/11....``

wow -- arjun m -- from paki-hater to now paki spokesman ... yeh kaisi hua ....

ahmadzai thanks yaar but yeh sirf website hai -- and i see no reason not to post such articles here -- at least im the lesser hypocrite, compared to the paki-haters who come on chowk --

jang reference where you said: ``Could you please post something regarding BJP saffronization. I mean real examples, so we can kind of compare whats the deal?`` -- DUDE R U FOR REAL -- india`s former science and technology minister Murli Manohar Joshi made it govt policy to re-write the textbooks, starting in UP and this was announced in large rallies all over northern india -- DUDE , were u sleeping at that time? what a question to ask!

Omar at # 55:

Yes you are right. I agree with you.

:-)

arjun:

So many posts one after the other? kiyun sulagg gai? But you are such a big baigharat that even though each single one of your ridicule on Pakistan is proven wrong with the passage of time, you always find a new event. Simply on historical facts you must rest assured that everything found against Pakistanis by the USA/Europe/India today will be proven wrong in the days to come. Also, rest assured that in whatever forum China and India find themselves today, Pakistan will follow in few years. Have this in writing from me.

Btw, I also understand your going ga ga on ``humiliation of Pakistanis`` e.g. in Macedonia. They did kill one innocent Indian Muslim also claiming that he was an Al Qaeda terrorist, right?.

Now go back to your copy and paste operation.

:-)

Plats at # 51:

Your understanding of the matter and subsequent reasonings and deductions are incorrect.

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#55 by omar_r_quraishi on June 11, 2004 5:29am PT

``DUDE R U FOR REAL -- india`s former science and technology minister Murli Manohar Joshi made it govt policy to re-write the textbooks, starting in UP and this was announced in large rallies all over northern india -- DUDE , were u sleeping at that time? what a question to ask! ``

Omar, again requesting specifics please. It will be great if you can cite examples that you find ``saffron`` or otherwise hateful. You are still using innuendo and what I am looking for is examples, as I could not find these myself. Perhaps articles which cite such examples?

Thanks

Omar Quraishi #55,

``DUDE R U FOR REAL -- india`s former science and technology minister Murli
Manohar Joshi made it govt policy to re-write the textbooks, starting in UP and
this was announced in large rallies all over northern india -- DUDE , were u sleeping
at that time? what a question to ask!``

Making public announcements and it`s actual implementation are two entirely different
things. Joshi also wanted to insert Vedic Astrology or some such crap in university
curricula. I guess Jang is asking for real examples and quotes (from textbooks)
which show the change. A fair thing to ask, I`d say.

Ahmadzai #58,

Care to show me how it is incorrect ? I am merely pointing out the inconsistency in
your own post.

Omar

Here is some stuff from NCERT (text book writing authority in india). This is what they accomplished during the previous BJP govt.

http://ncert.nic.in/histdebate/histindex.htm

Where do you read spewing of hatred? The list contains underlined ``deleted`` sections. You can certainly debate accuracy of the content, but that is a separate topic. NCERT also seems to be an open and transparent forum, where they post everything from actual letters etc and air the debate. Do you find this objectionable, if so why?

Thanks

In one country, hell breaks loose over giving students the option of learning astrology. In another, teaching of hatred is considered necessary part of religious indoctrination of students and a time-honored practice in schools.

#62 by jang on June 11, 2004 9:50am PT


#61 by plats8 on June 11, 2004 9:50am PT


How pathetic can you be dude...... one person under different nicks....... what a looser.

See below:
#62 by jang on June 11, 2004 9:50am PT
#55 by omar_r_quraishi on June 11, 2004 5:29am PT

``DUDE R U FOR REAL -- india`s former science and technology minister Murli Manohar Joshi made it govt policy to re-write the textbooks, starting in UP and this was announced in large rallies all over northern india -- DUDE , were u sleeping at that time? what a question to ask! ``

AND:

#61 by plats8 on June 11, 2004 9:50am PT
Omar Quraishi #55,

``DUDE R U FOR REAL -- india`s former science and technology minister Murli
Manohar Joshi made it govt policy to re-write the textbooks, starting in UP and
this was announced in large rallies all over northern india -- DUDE , were u sleeping
at that time? what a question to ask!``

GROW UP.

This crap is really getting out of hand.

Read below a letter in today`s DAWN.

http://www.dawn.com/2004/06/11/letted.htm


Syllabus and Islamic themes

I was surprised to see the Social Studies textbook for Class VII, 2004 edition, published by the Punjab Textbook Board. Out of a total of 10 chapters of the book, only one chapter, `Civic Life in Pakistan,` was free from a reference to the `Muslim world`. The remaining nine chapters have an exclusive specialized focus on the Muslim/Islamic world.

The social studies course is supposed to be an introduction to social sciences at preliminary level but the book hardly enlightens the students about social realities.

Rather, given the nature of contents, its very title `Social Studies` appears to be misleading, as all but one chapter contain too much of an emphasis on `Islamic` themes. The central theme of the book is nothing more than a pan-Islamic fantasy. It describes the `Muslim world` as if it is a separate geographic, economic, and political entity, which is untrue.

In fact, the Muslim countries stand disunited, underdeveloped, and uneducated. The book`s compilers` wish for Muslim unity, no matter how sincere and noble, must not be reason enough to distort facts. And the term `Muslim World` is confusing.

Does it refer to countries where the Muslims are in majority? Or Muslims all over the globe are considered to be part of the `Muslim world`? There is no harm in coining new terms to describe a social phenomenon or idea but they (terms) need precise definitions.

No attempt has been in the textbook to define `Muslim world` or the `Islamic society`. Moreover, I have never heard phrases like Christian, Hindu, or Buddhist world.

The book gives a perverted view of the world. It depicts the world in terms of a `Muslim` and `Non-Muslim` divide. No such division exists in the real word. Nations make regional and bilateral alliances according to their economic and strategic interests rather than on religious lines.

Turkey`s eagerness to join the EU, and Iran`s defence ties with India, are just two of the many examples. For all practical purposes, there is no concept of a Muslim world. Even most of the Muslim countries themselves do not subscribe to `pan-Islamism`.

Last but not least, social studies is a compulsory course for all students irrespective of their religious affiliations. What we are trying to teach in the name of social studies can more precisely be named as `Muslim Studies`.

While the imagined Muslim world exists nowhere on the ground, we are painting a fanciful and fictitious picture of a world for our young students. Interestingly, students of elite private schools are not fed such myths. Do we deliberately want to keep the majority of our people unenlightened and ignorant?

Jang,

Thanks for the NCERT link. I just went through the list of deletions there, and noticed
a clear pattern of cleansing (saffronising, if one wishes) evident. Thank god that
smug idiot couldn`t even retain his seat in Allahabad.

doublec, #65

Now, maybe the letter`s author has a reason to be all po`d at the textbook, however the idiot refused to identify specific passages which proved his point. Instead, he went on and on about the use of the ``Muslim World``. The Muslim World does indeed exist, at the very least as the amalgam of all Muslim nations. Does it imply unity? NO. Does it imply one nation? NO. The Muslim world is used as the West uses Western World - which is now loosing meaning due to the demise of communism. But alas, the West also recognizes the ``Muslim World``, and is now using it to rejuvenate the use of the term ``Western World``.

It`s one thing to push a shell of an ideology, but even the opponents of it are trying to pass off lame-ass commentary (ooooo, they use the term ``Muslim World``) as some sort of valid criticism... that country is DOOOOMED.

---

Maybe when the Pakis have reformed their educational system to weed out all hate material, then Indians can do the same in Bollywood, whose patriotic propaganda is most likely far worse due to it`s reach and influence.

#66 by doublec .. you are the double . ;-) (no, plats8 is not me.)

plats, i agree that the saffronizatoin is there. it is restricted to history books, (i.e. no hindu math etc). the hue-and-cry was however way out of proportion and generalizing that its about encouraging hatred against muslims, that is something i dont see. (someone pls give an example). what i see is deleting passages which speculatively claim that hindus ate beef, brahmins were against king ashoka etc. i dont even see ramayan or mahabharat or any of other ancient books introduced as part of studies (perhaps as literature). indians (hindus very much included) are the most ill-informed about these epics, if not for the amar-chitra katha and TV serials, only RSS will keep these epiocs alive and that interpretation is not what we necessarily need. indians should proudly study their own epics, just like in the western world they study illiad by homer. but with the nature of secular political debate, we will continue to allow moral studies and homes illiad to be taught in convent schools, but no serious scholarship (critical peer-reviews etc) of indian epics will ever be possible. that is a shameful.

doublec #66,

Excuse me ? Jang and I are the same person because we quoted the same text
from Omar`s post, or is it because the time stamps are identical !!! What flavour of
illogic is that ?

p.s: it`s loser, by the way.

vertex #68

The West Uses the derogatory term ``Muslim world`` because Muslim nations themselves insist on using it.


Indians can do the same in Bollywood, whose patriotic propaganda is most likely far worse due to it`s reach and influence.

Bollywood is in serious need of cleaning up. It is sickening how it bends over backward portraying Muslims as purer than white and Islam as a religion of peace.

jang, plats8:
I do not like the idea of the politicians revising history books. But if one has to be honest about it, the game was started by the Nehruvians. They were the ones who began sanitizing the textbooks from a Marxist perspective and, I believe, that perspective is still dominant in the textbooks used in West Bengal. When the BJP came to power, they tried to do the same through a process of saffronising education. And now that the secularists are in power, they will most likely tinker with the books again. One wishes that politicians will stop playing ping-pong with the school texts and let the only perspective guiding the teaching of history be truth and objectivity, to the extent possible.

jang #63

So the issues that warranted excision of passages from the NCERT-approved textbooks seem to be:

Beef-eating and killing of cows in the Vedic period (a well-known parivari obsession)
Presence of the horse in the chalcolithic age
Historicity of the Hindu epics and accuracy of dynastic chronology in the Puranas
Socio-economic factors behind the rise of the Sramanic traditions
Purported origins of caste
Some passages which might arguably be offensive to Jats; Sikhs; Jains (?)

Were changes actually made in the printed books?

Do the state boards have their own textbooks? (I guess so). How do they read, in Gujarat, in West Bengal?

I would also be extremely interested to know how the migrations/incursions/invasions of Kushans, Scythians, Sakas, Hepthalites into India have been treated in textbooks at various levels – specifically, what became of these people in subsequent centuries.

Ralph,

That`s a load of CRAP. When the likes of Bernard Lewis and all use the term, it is in the academic sense. There is no particular ideological baggage with the term. Like it or not, it`s a natural grouping.

---

Yarr, Muslims are not neccessarily for peace...no doubt many would take great pleasure in exterminating bigoted vermin like yourself. No doubt you would make a great villan in these non-exisant bollywood movies you talk about.

#68 by vertex

``then Indians can do the same in Bollywood, whose patriotic propaganda is most likely far worse due to it`s reach and influence. ``

bollywood is very opportunistic and commercial..if they start getting royaltees from pakistan, i am sure the propaganda will go down. The current bollywood anyways is far from spewing anti-pakistan hatred..have you seen Khakhee or Mein Hoo Na? They will bring tears to your eyes (heh heh..all bollywood movies bring tears to my eyes but that is a different thing).

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jang,

True enough, LOL.

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gujju,

``Most Indian muslims dont really consider themselves to be `Indian`. ``

Correction....those like yourself don`t consider Muslims to be ``Indian``, and equate Indianness to your narrow world view. Hence, anyone who fails to adopt this world view is branded anti-India.

Indian Muslims are Indian by birthright and geographical fact...what a nasty dilemma that must be for you. How to strip these people of their own claims to the country? By disowning them...but how? Can`t do it, because you`re not in a position to disown. Ownership of `Indianness` by this group belongs to them alone. They feel what they feel.

Well, wouldn`t it be nice if they would simply forfeit that claim....ahhh...that`s a dream come true. But who`s to let reality stand in the way of a good dream? What better way to mobilize support for `helping` these people in forfeiting their birthright than to propagate the myth that it`s by their own wish - even when they say it`s not, we should take note and understand that this is their true desire.

What better way to deal with these people with foreign names, and a foreign God who dare call themselves Indian. What a pleasant way to purge the impurities from mother-India`s blood, no?

Omar,

Good thing you wrote all these questions down from this government math book. I am quite saddened to read them. Its very disappointing to see that Pakistani kids are taught a subject like math in this manner. The government really needs to do something about the education policy. But looking at some of Pakistan`s education officials, its going to be a really tough job.

They can start by burning all copies of ``Afaq Mathematics-2``.

jang bhai, aur specifics post karoon or is that all? let me know dearie :)


In the Name of History

Examples from Hindutva-inspired school textbooks in India

Communal historiography is quite old in India but the new additions reflect greater contemporary use in dividing society along communal lines. They are also stronger in the language and expressions used. Communal bias is woven into school textbooks with preposterous ëfactsí in a way that can only have dangerous consequences for the educational standards in this country.

In the name of curriculum reform there is an attempt to rewrite textbooks along communal lines on a scale that will submerge all secular interpretations in school level teaching. A whole generation would grow up with their collective memory of a shared heritage destroyed and with ideas and information that have no basis in reality. A successful implementation of these texts on a widespread scale will mean the triumph of unreason as well as a tremendous and sudden deterioration in the quality of education, where the minimum criteria of correct empirical data and a scientific temper and reason are thrown to the winds. Our children will be little suited to face the real world or the world of scholarship


These books already form an integral portion of the curriculum in the 20,000 or more Vidya Bharati schools and also the Shishu Mandirs. The introduction of these texts into the Government schools in the BJP ruled states has massively increased the number of children who are being being made victims of this second rate and poisonous ëknowledgeí The take over of educational bodies from the highest levels to those determining the syllabi in schools, will carry this wave of fascist propaganda into the entire educational process. Coupled with other forms of popular education they could change our entire ways of looking at ourselves, and also propel our political visions along fascist rather than democratic lines.

We give below a sampling of these texts:



SOME GEMS FROM THE SANSKRIT GYAN TEXTS


Sanskrit Gyan texts are taught in Vidya Bharati schools and Shishu Mandirs. The recent RSS sponsored agenda paper on education that the Central Government tried to present before the Conference of the State Education Ministers suggested that these and similar texts be made compulsory for all schools.

The students are tested on dubious ëfactsí such as:

Ram Janmabhoomi is the birthplace of Ram.

Iran was first settled by Indians (Aryans).

Homer adapted Valmikiís Ramayana into an epic called Iliad.

Greek philosophers like Herodotus and Aristophanes were influenced by the Vedas.

The Egyptian faith was based on Indian traditions according to Plato and Pythagorus.

The language of the Native American Indians evolved from ancient Indian languages.

The cow is the mother of us all, in whose body Gods are believed to reside.

The Ayurveda is the finest medical system of the world, and it naturally evolved in India

Jesus Christ roamed the Himalayas and drew his ideas from Hinduism.

In the text books distributed in Vidya Bharti schools the map of India is shown as including not only Pakistan and Bangladesh but also the entire region of Bhutan, Nepal, Tibet and even parts of Myanmar ( ``punnya bhoomi Bharat`` )

A SAMPLE FROM THE HISTORY TEXTS



These texts are being used in Shishu Mandirs and Government Schools in BJP controlled states.


Ancient history:

Rama and Krishna took birth here to destroy evil and defend justice, religion and Sarasvati, and god took birth here many times to make this land pure. India is referred to as Sone ki chiriya and jagadguru( p 4 ,Gaurav Gatha (henceforth GG), the textbook for Class 4, Sarasvati Shishu Mandir, written in an extremely emotional and provocative style.)


Our land has always been seen with greedy eyes by the marauders, barbarous invaders and oppressive rulers. This story of invasion and resistance is our 3000 year long Gaurav Gatha . When this proud tradition actually began is difficult to say because no books were written at that timeÖbut we believe that the first man was born in this land(p. 8 GG)


To our ancestors these marauders were like mosquitoes and flies who were crushed (p. 8 GG)

Bacchus and Dionysis, among the earliest invaders, suffered such a defeat that feelings of terror ran in Greece(p. 9, GG) Darius had to face such a defeat that never could Iran raise its eyes towards India (p. 10 GG)


About 2200 years ago Indiaís trade was spread far and wide; foreign markets were filled with goods made in India. Heaps of gems and jewels and gold and silver filled the treasures People of the entire world used to look to India rith greedy eyes(p. 12 GG)


Mahapadma Nanda had so much wealth that if divided among the population, every person would get Rs. 50 lakhs each (p. 13 GG)


Alexanderís army was defeated at the hands of Puru and Alexander himself had to seek forgiveness(p., 15 GG)


Then came Demetrius Öthe preaching of ahimsa had weakened North India. The Kshatriyas--followers of the Vedic religion were-feeling frustratedÖ.the ruler of Magadha was a Buddhist. So he did not come forward to fight. But then was the country enslaved/ Did the enemy become victorious in the birthplace of Bhagwan Rama? No, no (p. 31, GG)


Pushyamitra destroyed the Greeks. After this the people of Greece could not attack Bharat Later they came only as refugees. As beggars they begged for their lives but never dared to look with proud eyesÖthe great man who destroyed the Greek power from its very roots was emperor Pushyamitra. India is proud of him even today. Every day we remember his name.(p. 35-37, GG)


Asoka advocated ahimsa. Every kind of violence came to be considered a crime. Even hunting, sacrifices in yajnas and use of arms began to be considered bad. It had a bad effect on the army. Cowardice slowly spread throughout the kingdom. The state bore the burden of providing food to the Buddhist monks. Therefore people began to become monks. Victory through arms began to be viewed as bad, Soldiers guarding the borders became demoralised. (p. 30, GG)


With the finds of bones of horses, their toys and yajna altars, scholars are beginning to believe that the people of the Harappa and Vedic civilisation were the same. (High School Itihaas Bhaag (henceforth HSIB)1, p. 43, history textbook for secondary schools, Government of U. P. revised in 1992 to suit the communal interpretations of Indian history. This book seals with the history of India from pre- historic times to 1526.)


Aryan culture is the nucleus of Indian culture, and the Aryans were an indigenous race. `` But about the Aryans who were the builders of Bharatiya Sanskriti in Bharat and creators of the Vedas, this view is gaining strength among the scholars in the country that India itself was the original home of the Aryans.``(P. 48, HSIB 1.) Archaeological and literary evidence does not support this theory.


Chanakya desired to ``see the entire Bharat united into one nation.``(P. 77, HSIB 1) empire building is deliberately confused with nationhood.


In a revised textbook three lines have been interpolated which reflect an utter disregard for facts. These lines are``It is worth mentioning that inspite of such a large empire, Asoka had got his edicts engraved only in one script (Brahmi) and one language Pakti-Sanskrit). This symbolises the national unity of the times``.


The entire period of Indian history from the death of Harsha till the 12th century has been described as the Rajput kaal (p. 168).


The qualities of ancient traditional self-pride, love of freedom, the feeling of pride towards Indian culture among Rajputs confirm the view that the Rajput race is the descendent of ancient Kshatriya families (p. 170 HSIB 1). That they had their ancestry in certain invaders is dismissed as a conspiracy of western historians.


Medieval history:
The religious factor was the predominant factor in policies and conflicts throughout the medieval period
Muslim rule in India was a foreign rule ( the reference is to the medieval period of Indian history when the rulers were Muslims, although factually even this is incorrect if one takes the entire country into account)
Lakhs of foreigners came during these thousands of yearsÖbut they all suffered humiliating defeatÖ.There were some whom we digestedÖwhen we were disunited , we failed to recognise who were our own and who were foreigners, then we were not able to digest them. We were not able even those who for some compulsion had separated from us. Mughals, Pathans and Christians are today some of these people.`` ( Itihaas Ga Raha Hai for Class5 in Shishu Mandir schools)
Islam spread in India solely by way of the sword. The Muslims came to India ``with the sword in one hand and the Qoran in the other``Ö"Numberless Hindus were forcibly converted to Islam on the point of the sword. This struggle for freedom became a religious war, Numerous sacrifices were made in the name of religion. We went on winning one battle after another. We did not let the foreign rulers settle down to rule, but we were not able to reconvert the separated brothers to Hinduism.``( Itihaas Gaa Raha Hai)
Arabs (barbarians) came to convert people to their religion. Wherever they went, they had a sword in their hand. Their army went like a storm in all the four directions. Any country that came in their way was destroyed, Houses of prayers and universities were destroyed. Libraries were burnt.. religious books were destroyed. Mothers and sisters were humiliated. Mercy and justice were unknown to them. (p.s.52-53 GG)
The second phase of the freedom struggle began with the invasion of India by Mahmud of Ghazni (Gaurav Gatha Class 4)
Mohammad Ghori killed lakhs of people, Visvanath Temple and Bhagwan Krishnaís birth place were converted into mosques. In turn he was killed by Prithviraj Chauhan( p.s. 67-68, GG )
Qutb Minar was constructed by Samundragupta, and its original name was Vushnu Sthambha ( p. 73, GG)).
The ëforeigní ruler Muhammad bin Tughlak transferred his capital from Delhi to Deogiri in South India out of fear of the Hindu kings (p. 73, GG ).
When Peshava Madhav Rao came to the throne no one could raise his eyes. The English, the French and the Portuguese shivered; they presented gifts in homage in his court with their heads bowed. Delhiís emperor was his puppet. Moghul power had ended. Nizam and other Muslim states with bowed heads sought his (Peshavaís ) refuge. The entire country was in a sense independent (p. 111 GG)
Due to the circumstances, it ( Islam )gradually assumed the form of a military religion ( sainik dharma) and with the force of arms, with a lightening speed it advanced and became an international religion.( p. 184, HSIB 1)


Now the sword of Islam was transferred from the Caliphs to the Turks (p. 189, HSIB 1)

The aim of Mahmud of Ghazni and Mohammed Ghori in coming to India , apart from plunder was the spread of Islam in India(p.s. 190, 195, HSIB1).


Allauddin imposed 50% land revenue on the Hindus. ( p. 228 HSIB 1).


Hindus acceptd turkish political supremacy only under compulsion. They retained their identity even while leading the life of insult and humiliation. (p. 260 HSIB 1).


Most of the Sultans adopted a policy of religious intolerance. They commited atrocities against hindus, demolished idols and temples.because of this the Hindus had surrendered to the Sultanate but they were always making efforts to destroy the Sultanate ( p.278 HSIB 1 )


The followers of Islam in this country whether they came as traders or as invaders-but with this country they could never establish full cultural harmony. One basic reason for their seperateness was the basic principle of their religion which is monotheismÖthere was continuous mutual struggle between the two cultures (p. 280, HSIB 1)


The indian society during the Sultanate period was divided into two main classes-ruling or muslim classes and ruled or non-Muslims of whom the Hindus were the majority) the majority of the population of the state was hindu but the Muslim class was patronised by rulers. Hindu was merely the payer of taxes . Inspite of being conquered in the political field, Hindus did not lose courage. To regain their lost independence, they went on raising their voices from time to time. Because of this historians have called it the ``period of resistance``. (p. 281, p. 283, HSIB 1)


In India the nature of the mussalman state was a religious state (p.282, HSIB 1)


By adopting jauhar vrat, women defended their religion and chastity.(p. 183 HSIB1)


Child marriage, jauhar, sati, purdah, jadu-tona and superstition were all due to the fear of the muslims (p.,. 284 HSIB 1)
The Babri Mosque was constructed after destroying a temple, which in turn stood on the exact spot where Rama was born.( High School Itihaas Bhaag 2, p. 146. This book covers the period from invasion of Babur to recent events)


The epithet intolerant is constantly used for Jahangir, Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb


The Qoran was the basis for the state policy of Aurangzeb, and whatever policy was adopted for running the Government was basically for promoting Islam9 HSIB 2, p. 119)


Destruction of temples and schools attached to them and the building of mosques in their place was a general policy with Aurangzeb .(HSIB 2 p. 120)

Shivaji and Rana Pratap were fighters for national liberation. All the ëHinduí kings who fought for their kingdoms against the Moghuls are presented as such.
In the text books from Maharashtra, the medieval history of Maharashtra begins and ends with Shivaji. All other historical figures exist only in reference to him.


Modern Indian history:
About 190 pages of the book deal with the history of modern India, of which only 20 pages are devoted to the nationalist movement (HSIB 2), of which 3 pages are devoted to Dr. Hedgewar. Important nationalist leaders are mentioned incidentally in comparison. Quit India movement has 1/2 page, Jinnah is the villian.


Although there are 60 pages on the entry of the British and establishment of british rule, there is nothing that would promote an understanding of colonialism (HSIB 2)


Peoples movements find no place.


The book is full of factual errors, inconsistencies, and chronological lapses.


The Muslims are solely blamed for the partition of India.


The RSS as an organisation is presented as central to the Freedom Movement. Dr. Keshavrao B. Hegdewar is one of the tallest leaders of the freedom struggle. Statements of a large number of national leaders have been quoted in praise of the RSS.


In the section dealing with the movement against the partition of Bengal the name of Hegdewar has been added as a leader of the movement, the other names mentioned being those of Tilak, Aurobindo Ghose, Lajpat Rai and Bipin Chandra Pal.


In the context of the civil disobedience movement there is no mention of the Lahore Congress or Purna Swaraj.


The shishu mandir text book is worse on all these counts, and the RSS and its leaders are said to have removed the evils which hundreds of years of slavery had givenÖthis Sangathan became an object of pride for the country ( p. 86 )


SUBSTANTIAL amendments and additions that suit the RSS ideology have also been made in grammar, literature and political science books for Classes IX, X, XI and XII in Rajasthan.
In one of the texts, ``A New Collection of Poems and Literary Writings`` (Nutan Gadya Padya Sangrah--the original title in Hindi), prescribed for Class IX, there are, among others, four articles, one each by Prof. Rajendra Singh (Rajju Bhaiya), RSS chief; Tarun Vijay, editor of the RSS weekly Panchajanya; K.C. Sudarshan, also an RSS ideologue; and Dr. Jalamsingh Ravlot of the Swadeshi Jagran Manch. All four articles were added this year.


In a textbook for Class XI, titled Political Science - An Introduction and Indian Political Thinkers, a chapter on Deen Dayal Upadhyay has been added. This 1998-99 edition describes him as a person who had deep respect for ``ancient and highly sophisticated culture of India``, who envisaged an ``ideal Dharmarajya`` and who was upset that ``while designing the Indian Constitution, the natural and national values had been ignored.`` The 20-page section highlights his belief in ``Akhand Bharat`` which was all for dissolving the 1947 Partition and cites the occasion in April 1964 when he along with Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia conceived of a ``Mahasangh`` in which India and the partitioned countries (Pakistan and Bangladesh) would be included.


Rana Pratapís heroic deeds are the subject of a poem in the High school Hindi syllabus. The poem Haldighati, written by Shyam Narain Pandey was banned in 1975 as it was found to incite communal feelings.

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Bred on hatred, ready for the Bomb

Be it India or pakistan, the state, the mainline media, teachers and text- books, and the family connive to poison young minds


However different the focus and approach of over 28 different peoplesíñlevel peace efforts between Pakistan and India in the past half century, it is not insignificant that scores of individuals and organisations involved in these efforts have, while owing allegiance to varied initiatives thrown up similar conclusions.

A common resolution at the end of every IndiañPak peace conference is to work towards a winding down of the hate/hysteria consciously spawned about ìthe otherî by the respective states of India and Pakistan, by large sections of the mainline media of both countries, and, most spuriously, by our respective text books and oral education in schools. The rather less visible but more permanent impact of prejudice and stereotype unleashed within the family is a factor that also needs to be taken into consideration.

The fact that the Pakistan-India rhetoric often gets blurred and confused into the dialectics of the MuslimñHindu discourse with its own set of imposed prejudices is, in a sense, unavoidable given the peculiar circumstances behind the creation of both countries, a division of two nation states on communal lines. So, if Pakistan was sought and attained as a ìland of the pureî for Muslims, postñ1947, community lore in majority India, spawned consciously and systematically by Hindu right wing organisations like the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Hindu Mahasabha, has created an army of young minds, prepared to hold and defend the motherlandís honour (from future divisions) for whom the country carved out was ìPaapistanî (land of the sinner) and remains as such, sinister in design, even today.

Pakistanís text books manipulated history and even systematically demonised any evidences of composite cultures or united struggles or shared allegiances of region or language outside religion. But ours have not been unblemished either. If the shared history of several thousand years was sought to be overlooked by the systematic attempt to Islamise history in Pakistan, a process during which even the word ëHinduí was demonised, our own systematic efforts, at one level more subtle, at another as crude, have not been unblemished.

Columns on these pages in the past have dealt with the demonisation of todayís Indian Muslims and the marginalisation of other minorities through, among other things, the systematic manipulation and distortion of historical events (ìinvasions and attacks by Mohammedansî among other things) and images to suit the Hindu communal design. For todayís argument, however, I shall restrict myself to the Pakistan-India discourse and attempt to show how even ìsuperior and magnanimous Indiaís text-booksî have not just been singularly wanting but served the overall purpose of both nation states postñ1947 ó that is, keeping hate sentiments on the boil. A book of national songs (ìHamare rashtra geetî) used in schools and recommended in the curriculum in New Delhi and some parts of Uttar Pradesh has two songs that bear mention. One, called Pakistan ki jhanki (A glimpse of Pakistan) and the other titled Pakistan ki history (The history of Pakistan.) seek to whip up sustained contempt and aversion to a neighbour, ìa country of the devil carved out of the motherland.

Hamara Itihas aur Nagrik Jeevan, (Our history and civic life), the part 3 text book for schools in UP has a chapter, number 13, on ìOur Neighbouring Countries.î After lamenting at the outset of this section that poverty, famine, drought and disease are the outcomes of war, the first para concludes: ìat the time of the 1962 IndoñChina and 1965 and 1971 IndoñPak wars, it is evident that it was because of the selfishness of the leaders of our neighbouring countries and their expansionist policies that they declared war on our great, peaceñloving nation and disrupted our progress.î

In the subñsection in the same chapter that deals with Pakistan particularly, the text book reads: ìPakistan is our closest neighbour. Before Independence, a part of India...To date, the history of Pakistan is one of sectarian strife, political assassination, individual aggrandisement and conflict..... Fundamentalism, fanatical sloganeering and mass hysteria have marked Pakistanís governance. Its leaders have used such sloganeering to divert the attention of their toiling masses from real issues...India has always believed, and followed a policy that it is only through friendship and coñoperation that India and Pakistan can progress. Even today we carry the hope our relations with Pakistan improve and both developing nations grow with speed towards prosperity.î

Do these words display scant honesty to facts and a fair share of superiority? Has the Indian leadership always been magnanimous in extending a hand of friendship to the land and people across the border? Was the 1971 war launched by Pakistan? Did former prime minister Indira Gandhi and now Atal Behari Vajpayee never use the forever convenient ìexternal threatî to let loose a fear psychosis, win an election, declare Emergency, test the bomb?

Our hope however is the minds of the young. The great thing about young minds is their hyperñactiveness, their abiding curiosity, their desire to shock and scandalise and ó what may defy any such demonising efforts eventually ó their ability to pursue a strand of thought that challenges them to take a fresh or new direction. The rider however is that one makes sustained and consistent efforts to open channels of communication with them.

That has been my experience with Aman, the South Asia studies and Peacepals programme. Launched on a hunch with the abiding support of Mrs. Gomti Venkateshwar, former principal of the Bombay International School, Mumbai and Mr. Sami Mustafa, principal of the Centre for Advanced Studies, Karachi, we have together ensured that over 75 children between Karachi and Mumbai are in regular touch with each other. Writing letters, asking questions, having arguments and disagreements even... but communicating.

How did we begin? It was close to August 1996, the onset of the 50th year of Independence for both countries. Through my research for Khoj, the secular education module that is being compiled, and my obsession for different facets of the struggle for Independence against the British, gross lacunae in our printed textñbooks had begun to stare me in the face.

Believe it or not, despite half a million lives lost and over eight hundred thousand persons displaced during partition, followed by a half century of reflection on the tragedy, our text books and our teachers had nothing more than trite phrases laced with the ever-prevalent prejudice to offer to future generations on Partition.

A period that had caused unimaginable trauma and displacement, scarred lives, distorted visions, even reassured some with hope in humanity. But we refused to impart fair and evenñhanded knowledge to our children. Formation of the Muslim League, Mohammed Ali Jinnah, Lahore Declaration, Direct Action Day ó these are the four subñheads with three paras each that we deal with the entire period. The result? Confusions, question marks, ripe condition for manipulation and prejudice coming from other sources to breed.

We were going into the 50th year of independence of both countries. What better start to the next 50 years than opening up a channel of communication between some children of India and Pakistan. Freeing them of ìourî, ìthe adultî burden that we have been forcing them to carry all these years, and allowing them, as all genuine learning should, to make their own choices, ask their own questions, make up their own minds.

I asked one batch of the children at BIS in Mumbai if they would like to write to children in Pakistan, become penpals with them. On two conditions, was the startling, but actually predictable, reply: Provided you first do a module on Partition ó why, how, what happened? And Kashmir ó why and what is happening with us? Done. We had a detailed discussion on the two subjects requested and animated, excited and endless discussions that followed. Only after that did the Peacepals exchange begin. It is, fortunately, still continuing.

What is as heartening is that through CCís Learning pages and Khoj pull-out (it will resume next month), the message of Aman has spread to a wide network of readers. And youngsters ó who have joined in the Aman exchange, desirous of a friend across the border, perturbed by the latest round of hateñmongering which has reached unprecedented proportions with the testing of nuclear bombs by first India and then Pakistan ó write to us every month.

Apart from Syed Hasan Zia Rizvi of Class VIIís touching poem that we reproduce next month on the Khoj pullñout pages in full, Aahana Nivedhitaís prompt and short letter is telling (see quote). After outlining her address, her hobbies etc, she pours her heart out.

We share your concern and sense of disquiet, Syed Hasan and Aahana. And if the little that we are attempting helps stem your distress and emboldens you to share your feelings that appear to swim against the tide, our efforts would have been meaningful. Thatís when we may together realise that it is we who speak for the majority, not they.



Teesta Setalvad

jang bhai, for u:

Guest lecturer (at Dartomouth) Romila Thapar painted a bleak picture of India`s religious distortions of Indian history Monday.

Thapar focused her lecture on the ``centrality of historiography,`` and the need for a more analytical investigation of the history presented in school textbooks. She also highlighted the desire of the majority to create a ``religious nationalism`` that prescribed an ``Us versus Them`` conflict. Drawing on parallels to American cultural discord, she spoke at length on the shortcomings of a partial recount of history as a way to define a national identity.

Thapar argued that in India, each new political regime has replaced history textbooks by ``government fiat,`` without the consultation of the educational board designed to oversee such decisions. Rather than expanding on the previously used texts, the government has printed new versions that omit historical events not corresponding to the prescribed national identity; texts containing what Thapar labeled ``updated, refereed knowledge.``

Indian religious nationalists are the latest group to rewrite historical textbooks in an effort to further their ideas of Indian national identity. Their view of ``religious nationalism,`` Thapar claimed, sets up a division between the ``self`` and the ``other,`` and these terms must then be defined by the narratives of history textbooks.


Thapar elaborated on the cultural and historical context surrounding the Indian national identity, portraying the current regime`s view of ``self`` as India`s Hindi majority and the ``other`` as the Muslim minority, part of which broke off to form Pakistan in 1947.

Thapar argued that the nationalist view of India as a Hindu ``monolithic religious community`` led to the development of a ``Hindutva ideology;`` an ecclesiastical belief in which one national religion triumphs --Hindu -- and other religions are considered foreign.

She stated that ``politicizing religion marginalizes social inequalities,`` and criticized Hindutva because ``empowerment of the weak has no place in this ideology.``

Underlying Professor Thapar`s message on the dangers of religious nationalism was the idea that India is in the midst of ``post colonialism`` defined by the ``dissembling of colonial institutions as well as a dialogue with its colonial past.`` But Thapar did not view India`s situation as a dialogue, rather as a ``borrowing of the colonial past.`` That is, India is not learning from its colonial errors, but rather repeating the same mistakes.

Thapar concluded her lecture with a number of caveats. She advised that history ``must be rewritten`` because it is not a ``frozen body of knowledge,`` and that one must view history ``as a process, not a narrative of events.``

She closed with the line, ``It is not enough to understand what is happening, it is also necessary to change it.``

Thapar, who teaches at Jawarhalal Nehru University in India, was brought to campus to deliver this year`s Robert F. Allabaugh Class of 1934 Memorial Lecture.

jang jee i suppose u should have read teh stuff on that site more closely -- its always better to make changes in a subtle manner so that no one notices -- plz go thru the following, if u have the time that is and see how ncert wanted to re-write india`s history:
the following para particularly stands out and it is reproduced here too: (it reeks of ideology -- and i hope u have the proof u wanted jang jee)

``Habib & Co. have been slaves of this logic all these years. Muslims and Hindus are equal co-heirs to India`s history, whether ancient, medieval or modern. There is no need to be apologetic for foreign invaders and tyrants like Mahmud of Ghazni or Alauddin Khalji or Babur or Robert Clive or Warren Hastings. These were foreigners who will continue to live in infamy in the Indian mind. The specious plea that Muslim sentiments will be hurt if some foreign invaders are shown in their true colours, actually constitutes an insult to our Muslim brothers and sisters. Why should they answer for the crimes of foreign brigands? Did Indian Muslims not suffer as much as Indian Hindus did under their rule? By the same argument, are we now to write hagiographies for Clive, Hastings and Curzon because Indian Christians may be ``hurt``? And what about our Communists? Are they to answer for the Chinese invasion of 1962 ?``

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PREFACE

The Indian History Congress (IHC) was for years a premier forum of scholars involved in the teaching and conduct of research in history. It was established in 1936 by renowned scholars who, despite considerable political pressure and personal economic adversities, made many sacrifices so that the Indian people are not humiliated by western treatment of their history. IHC once boasted of a formidable membership — Jadunath Sarkar, R. C. Majumdar,
T. V. Mahalingam, D. C. Bhandarkar, K. A. Nilakanta Shastri, to name a few. For decades the IHC`s annual conference had been a major fixture in the annual calendar of intellectually stimulating events. These attracted not just historians, but also political essayists, journalists, students and professionals from diverse fields. They flocked to the venue out of curiosity in their nation`s past, to learn whatever they could from the assemblage of scholars as monographs, dissertations and papers throwing newer and newer light on complex questions from the past were read out.

The relationship between the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) and IHC is at least three decades old. During this period, scholars linked to IHC, out of genuine concern that the history taught to young school children of the country be free from mistakes, political bias and prejudice towards particular communities, freely extended their expertise to the designing of NCERT`s textbooks which, thanks to the wide distribution network enjoyed by the latter, helped in the process of historical understanding by a generation of Indians. Though there was no formal framework under which this co-operation was extended, it was a dialogue process. NCERT, a professional and autonomous body committed to developing scientific educational frameworks and capacities for their smooth implementation, benefited from this arrangement because history is a sensitive subject with immense ramifications on the national fabric. The unity in diversity, which the founding fathers of the nation envisaged, could easily be torn apart if history books were adulterated with rhetoric. The youth of the country could have been misled into perceiving a completely wrong notion of our nationhood.

However, the linkage between NCERT and IHC got snapped some years back. To some extent, the change in IHC`s own vision was responsible for this. It was no secret to those in the know, that IHC had undergone a


vi

metamorphosis from a forum of historians to a club of Leftist scholars who often called themselves ``eminent``, sometimes ``liberal``, or ``progressive`` and, always, ``secular``. They purged this once proud institution of people who disagreed with their views on what constitutes the ``right`` history. With time, IHC`s publications began to betray a strong Leftist bias. As often happens with institutions intolerant to div