Changes in NCERT texts attempt to distort, communalise study of history, polity, society: CPI MP
New Delhi, Apr 6 (PTI) CPI MP Binoy Viswam has alleged that the changes made to NCERT textbooks indicate a clear-cut attempt at "distorting and communalising the study of the history, polity and society of India".
In a letter to Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the CPI leader said that "omissions" are very serious and some of the changes "reek of an attempt" to omit information about certain periods in Indian history and certain traditions of Indian thought.
He alleged that most of these changes were brought in social sciences books, indicating that the government is "trying to curtail critical analysis of our society, polity and history".
The NCERT has dropped from its class 12 history textbook certain portions on Mahatma Gandhi and how his pursuit of Hindu-Muslim unity "provoked Hindu extremists", and on a ban on the RSS, triggering a row, with the Congress accusing the Centre of "whitewashing" and "distorting" history.
"Gandhiji's death had a magical effect on communal situation in the country", "Gandhi's pursuit of Hindu-Muslim unity provoked Hindu extremists" and "Organisations like RSS were banned for some time" are among the portions deleted from the textbook.
The portions referring to the Gujarat riots have also been dropped from the class 11 sociology textbook, months after NCERT removed the reference to the 2022 communal violence in two class 12 textbooks.
"All of these changes, taken in totality, indicate a clear-cut attempt at distorting and communalising the study of the history, polity and society of India.
"That this was done by a panel of experts is indicative of how deep ideological bias has entered into our system. These omissions are precluding critical inquiry, defeating the purpose of democratization of knowledge and aim at homogenization," Viswam said.
The CPI MP further alleged that the removal of passages linking Mahatma Gandhi's
assassination with the RSS appears to dilute Nathuram Godse's ideological leanings.
"Other changes that were made as part of the 'rationalization' exercise are also in nature of either concealing the true history of the country or attempting to distort it. All references to the Gujarat riots of 2002, including former PM A B Vajpayee's message to then CM Narendra Modi on following a policy of non-discrimination, have been removed," he alleged.
In his letter, he also said that the removal and reduction of content pertaining to the Delhi Sultanate, the Mughal Empire and the works of literature and architecture of that period "prima facie appears to be communally biased." References to social movements are also omitted to a great extent, Viswam claimed.
"Our young minds deserve the truth and offering them half-truths, omissions and biases is a grave injustice which is sure to imperil our future. Thus, I urge you to take account of the changes made and take necessary action to rectify the biases from NCERT textbooks to preserve the spirit of critical inquiry and scientific temper in future generations," he said.
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Maldives arrests two serving ministers for performing alleged black magic on Prez Muizzu: Reports
Maldives police have arrested two serving ministers for allegedly performing black magic on President Mohamed Muizzu, local media reported on Thursday.
Shamnaz Saleem, who was a state minister at the Environment Ministry, her ex-husband Adam Rameez, who was serving as a minister at the President's Office, and two others were arrested, local media said quoting the police, which, however, declined to share any information about the reasons or the alleged performance of black magic.
“Shamnaz, alongside two other individuals, was arrested on Sunday. All three of them have been remanded in custody for seven days. She was suspended from her post on Wednesday as per the Environment Ministry,” news portal Sun.mv reported, adding, Rameez too has been suspended on Thursday.
Incidentally, both Shamnaz and Rameez have worked with Muizzu as members of the Male City Council when he was serving as the city's mayor.
Media reported that after Muizzu assumed office as the President in November last year, Shamnaz was appointed as a state minister first at Muliaage, the official residence of the president and then transferred to the Environment Ministry.
“Rameez, during his time at Male City Council, was known as a close aide of Muizzu, who was the mayor at that time,” Sun.mv said further and added, “However, he has been absent from the public light in the past five months or so.” Neither the Maldives government nor the President's office has made any official comment on the issue.
