New Delhi: Rejecting accusations of saffronisation of the school curriculum, NCERT director Dinesh Prasad Saklani defended modifying references to Gujarat riots and Babri Masjid demolition to prevent creating “violent and depressed citizens.”
Saklani explained that the changes in textbooks are part of an annual revision process and should not be cause for alarm. Addressing questions about the modifications related to the Gujarat riots and Babri Masjid demolition, he said, "Why should we teach about riots in school textbooks? We want to create positive citizens, not violent and depressed individuals. Education should not foster offensiveness or hatred in society."
His comments come at a time when new textbooks, featuring several deletions and changes, have been released. For instance, the revised Class 12 political science textbook no longer mentions the Babri Masjid explicitly, referring to it instead as a "three-domed structure." The section on Ayodhya has been reduced from four pages to two, with a focus on the Supreme Court judgement that enabled the construction of a Ram temple at the site of the demolished structure. The Supreme Court verdict was widely accepted across the country, and the consecration of the Ram idol in the temple was performed by the Prime Minister on January 22 this year.
Saklani said that the objective of the textbooks is to cultivate positive citizens and not to dwell on violent events. He added, "Hatred and violence should not be the focus of our textbooks. The same hue and cry is not made about the 1984 riots not being included in textbooks."
Among the latest deletions are references to BJP's 'rath yatra' from Somnath to Ayodhya, the role of kar sevaks, communal violence following the Babri Masjid demolition, President's rule in BJP-ruled states, and the BJP's expression of regret over the Ayodhya events. Saklani questioned, "If the Supreme Court has given a verdict in favour of the Ram temple, should it not be included in our textbooks? What is the problem with including new updates?"
Addressing allegations of saffronisation, Saklani stated, "If something has become irrelevant, it needs to be changed. Updating textbooks is a global practice and is in the interest of education. There are no attempts to saffronise the curriculum; everything is based on facts and evidence."
The NCERT is revising school textbooks in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Changes include the removal or alteration of significant historical topics, such as a two-page table detailing the achievements of Mughal emperors and discussions on ancient DNA studies from the Indus Valley site at Rakhigarhi. This marks the fourth round of revisions since 2014.
Saklani noted that some changes were made because the subjects were deemed irrelevant, others to update information, and several topics were removed to reduce the burden on students due to the Covid-19 pandemic. He concluded, "Updating textbooks is a standard practice, and it is done with inputs from subject and pedagogy experts. There is no top-down imposition."
Referring specifically to changes related to Ayodhya, the NCERT had stated in April that the content was updated to reflect the latest political developments and the Supreme Court's verdict, which received widespread acceptance.
