08-23-2006, 03:14 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Distorting history </b>
<i>Politicisation of education in the name of detoxification, will give birth to a generation of ignoramuses, says JS Rajput </i>
After a lapse of little over two years of 'desaffronised' and 'detoxified' adventures in school education, the new textbooks are suddenly in focus. Children must learn contemporary context and historical and political developments of the last six decades is the conceptual formulation being presented to the country. Therefore, why should the children not read and 'learn' about Babri Masjid, Gujarat riots, 1984 riots, Emergency, etc.? There is already an indication of the shape of the things to come.
The class IX social science textbook 'Democratic Politics' has a collage on Gujarat riots. Below it, is a boxed piece on National Human Rights Commission. The collage headline says, "A rights violation, says Congress." No other party, not even the CPI(M), finds place. It's Congress and that's what matters in a 'secular' set-up! The box description contains the sentence, "A large number of cases were filed in the court against those accused of rioting and massacre of nearly 2,000 people, mostly Muslims. Human rights organisations and media were saying that the State Government was not serious about pursuing these cases or catching the culprits." The Nation has to be ready for new lessons in objectivity and truthfulness in textbook writing. <b>I am keen to read how Emergency will be described?</b>
Having been responsible for the now much maligned National Curriculum Frame-work for School Education-2000, I have deliberately refrained from making any observations on the contents of the curriculum framework developed in 2005 and the series of textbooks that followed. The intention of the incumbents at the helm of educational affairs at present were made public in no uncertain terms in May 2004: Every thing initiated and achieved during the preceding five years was declared 'toxified and saffronised' and rejected. Never before in India had a change of Government resulted in curriculum change in such biased, prejudged and prejudiced manner. I am yet to understand what was 'toxified and saffronised' in it.
Some of the textbooks were ready only by the end of April 2004. It is worth recalling that a book on Thirukural for school children and one on Vedanta by Dr Karan Singh for school teachers were banned without any consultations with the then Director. The Secretary of the Communist Party of India wrote on July 13, 2004, the book entitled "Global Educational Change" be stopped 'now that the books are being detoxified'! It was promptly accepted. These books were later released reluctantly. The message was loud and clear: The set of experts and activists that has lost in the legal battle was ready to take over and they needed it 'full', not in parts. Those, who made all the hue and cry on the removal of a few paragraphs from history books in 2001 were not a different lot.
Delhi Assembly was the first to pass a resolution to ban one of the history books as it contained "incorrect facts presented in derogatory language". The book, written nearly three decades ago, was a reprint of 2001. The legislator who moved the resolution thought it was a new book prepared in 2001. When I read about it in newspapers, I congratulated him for taking an academically sound stand. He was shocked: "Is it not a new book?" No sir, it was not. NCERT then got this book and few others examined and requested CBSE not to use certain paragraphs for teaching or examination purposes.
The detractors of the NCERT cried from the rooftops: "The country is in danger, saffronisation is taking place." What followed later regarding history textbooks itself became history. Interestingly, the euphoria of desaffronisation and detoxification is slowly and quietly vanishing, the fate it was predestined to meet. All that was removed in 2001 as indicated above was brought back in a huff in July 2004; five copies each of the three decades old history textbooks were printed and send to library for 'reference purposes'! And now, assurances have been given in the High court of Delhi that around 40 paragraphs have already been excluded and the exclusion of almost a similar number is under consideration! Could we call it resaffronisation? During these two years, it was very clear that the contents of textbooks removed under my decisions were incorrect and a deliberate attempt to distort facts. Once the nation was made familiar of these distortions, it will not allow these distortions a second entry.
The language, the choice of content and free and frank use of unconstitutional words and terms in the textbooks has attracted attention of the people and also Parliament. Not many would like to recall that when aberrations in History books were taken up for discussion in Parliament after the release of the curriculum framework of 2000, the discussion was on party lines. It is, indeed, encouraging that a consensus has emerged in Parliament to get an enquiry conducted in the content, languages and the intent behind the desaffronised textbooks. To some one like me, it vindicates fully the approach taken five years ago that textbooks have a prime responsibility to achieve social cohesion and learning to live together.
Having served NCERT as a full Professor for over three decades, I must be permitted the privilege of claiming some acquaintance with its functioning and the talent pool it has developed. Established 45 years ago, it is internationally recognised as the unique institution of its kind, which has the best of expertise in all aspects of school education and teacher education. Also, it has created high level expert manpower in States and UT's also.
In every earlier exercise of curriculum development and textbook preparation, it has associated expertise from other educational institutions including top-level institutions of higher learning and research. Never before was the role of its own faculty so marginalised as in the current context. Peruse the list of any of the textbook advisory committee and the position would be clear. Not a single chairperson, chief advisor or adviser is from within the organisation. Even the memberships of such committees tells the same story. Yes, member-coordinators are from within the organisation. 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 organisation, which was created to be the best in the assigned area?
<b>It takes decades to create an outstanding institution but only days and months to demoralise anyone of them.</b>
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<i>Politicisation of education in the name of detoxification, will give birth to a generation of ignoramuses, says JS Rajput </i>
After a lapse of little over two years of 'desaffronised' and 'detoxified' adventures in school education, the new textbooks are suddenly in focus. Children must learn contemporary context and historical and political developments of the last six decades is the conceptual formulation being presented to the country. Therefore, why should the children not read and 'learn' about Babri Masjid, Gujarat riots, 1984 riots, Emergency, etc.? There is already an indication of the shape of the things to come.
The class IX social science textbook 'Democratic Politics' has a collage on Gujarat riots. Below it, is a boxed piece on National Human Rights Commission. The collage headline says, "A rights violation, says Congress." No other party, not even the CPI(M), finds place. It's Congress and that's what matters in a 'secular' set-up! The box description contains the sentence, "A large number of cases were filed in the court against those accused of rioting and massacre of nearly 2,000 people, mostly Muslims. Human rights organisations and media were saying that the State Government was not serious about pursuing these cases or catching the culprits." The Nation has to be ready for new lessons in objectivity and truthfulness in textbook writing. <b>I am keen to read how Emergency will be described?</b>
Having been responsible for the now much maligned National Curriculum Frame-work for School Education-2000, I have deliberately refrained from making any observations on the contents of the curriculum framework developed in 2005 and the series of textbooks that followed. The intention of the incumbents at the helm of educational affairs at present were made public in no uncertain terms in May 2004: Every thing initiated and achieved during the preceding five years was declared 'toxified and saffronised' and rejected. Never before in India had a change of Government resulted in curriculum change in such biased, prejudged and prejudiced manner. I am yet to understand what was 'toxified and saffronised' in it.
Some of the textbooks were ready only by the end of April 2004. It is worth recalling that a book on Thirukural for school children and one on Vedanta by Dr Karan Singh for school teachers were banned without any consultations with the then Director. The Secretary of the Communist Party of India wrote on July 13, 2004, the book entitled "Global Educational Change" be stopped 'now that the books are being detoxified'! It was promptly accepted. These books were later released reluctantly. The message was loud and clear: The set of experts and activists that has lost in the legal battle was ready to take over and they needed it 'full', not in parts. Those, who made all the hue and cry on the removal of a few paragraphs from history books in 2001 were not a different lot.
Delhi Assembly was the first to pass a resolution to ban one of the history books as it contained "incorrect facts presented in derogatory language". The book, written nearly three decades ago, was a reprint of 2001. The legislator who moved the resolution thought it was a new book prepared in 2001. When I read about it in newspapers, I congratulated him for taking an academically sound stand. He was shocked: "Is it not a new book?" No sir, it was not. NCERT then got this book and few others examined and requested CBSE not to use certain paragraphs for teaching or examination purposes.
The detractors of the NCERT cried from the rooftops: "The country is in danger, saffronisation is taking place." What followed later regarding history textbooks itself became history. Interestingly, the euphoria of desaffronisation and detoxification is slowly and quietly vanishing, the fate it was predestined to meet. All that was removed in 2001 as indicated above was brought back in a huff in July 2004; five copies each of the three decades old history textbooks were printed and send to library for 'reference purposes'! And now, assurances have been given in the High court of Delhi that around 40 paragraphs have already been excluded and the exclusion of almost a similar number is under consideration! Could we call it resaffronisation? During these two years, it was very clear that the contents of textbooks removed under my decisions were incorrect and a deliberate attempt to distort facts. Once the nation was made familiar of these distortions, it will not allow these distortions a second entry.
The language, the choice of content and free and frank use of unconstitutional words and terms in the textbooks has attracted attention of the people and also Parliament. Not many would like to recall that when aberrations in History books were taken up for discussion in Parliament after the release of the curriculum framework of 2000, the discussion was on party lines. It is, indeed, encouraging that a consensus has emerged in Parliament to get an enquiry conducted in the content, languages and the intent behind the desaffronised textbooks. To some one like me, it vindicates fully the approach taken five years ago that textbooks have a prime responsibility to achieve social cohesion and learning to live together.
Having served NCERT as a full Professor for over three decades, I must be permitted the privilege of claiming some acquaintance with its functioning and the talent pool it has developed. Established 45 years ago, it is internationally recognised as the unique institution of its kind, which has the best of expertise in all aspects of school education and teacher education. Also, it has created high level expert manpower in States and UT's also.
In every earlier exercise of curriculum development and textbook preparation, it has associated expertise from other educational institutions including top-level institutions of higher learning and research. Never before was the role of its own faculty so marginalised as in the current context. Peruse the list of any of the textbook advisory committee and the position would be clear. Not a single chairperson, chief advisor or adviser is from within the organisation. Even the memberships of such committees tells the same story. Yes, member-coordinators are from within the organisation. 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 organisation, which was created to be the best in the assigned area?
<b>It takes decades to create an outstanding institution but only days and months to demoralise anyone of them.</b>
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->