Why we should fight distortion of history in NCERT textbooks

Presenting historical facts without distortion encourages students to think critically about the past, understand the complexity of historical events and promote cultural awareness and tolerance. | Photo Credit: Getty Images / iStockPhoto

Rrecently, I came across a cartoon titled “History for Peace” depicting students studying a book called “History of India – Revised Edition.” The room was lit by a table lamp labeled “NCERT” (National Council of Educational Research and Training). The books and lamps are saffron in color. Read the following: “Bapu died peacefully on January 30, 1948, with the name of God on his lips. A truly blessed life.” This powerful cartoon is a classic example of historical distortion. This indirectly suggests that Mahatma Gandhi (Bapu), the Father of the Nation, died a natural death, omitting the important fact that he was killed by Nathuram Godse, a Hindu fanatic.

Distortion of history is not new in India. Over the past decade, this has been discussed and debated many times in the mainstream and social media. Recently, the controversy over revised NCERT textbooks has been widely discussed, following threats from academics Yogendra Yadav and Suhas Palshikar to take legal action against NCERT for publishing new textbooks under their name without permission. “Both of us do not want NCERT to hide our names in order to issue political science textbooks to students, which we find politically biased, academically untenable and pedagogically dysfunctional,” the letter said.

However, NCERT director Dinesh Prasad Saklani defended the revision arguing that “the expert committee felt that mentioning some (riots) selectively is not good. Why do we need to teach about riots in school textbooks? We want to create positive citizens, not individuals who harsh and depressed. He also mentioned that the changes in the textbooks are in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Saklani seems to have forgotten that the revision is against the goal of NEP 2020 which is to “enhance critical thinking among students.”

This is not the first time NCERT has faced controversy. It received criticism for reducing the focus on Mughal history while increasing coverage of ancient Hindu history and the Vedic period. In addition, there was a backlash due to the suppression of content related to the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi and the role of his assassin, Nathuram Godse.

In this context, it is important to analyze the importance of accurate historical representation. Historical negationism differs from historical revisionism: the former destroys history, while the latter corrects it with reason, evidence, and reinterpretation. However, if distortion is carried out under the guise of revisionism, it risks glorifying historical falsification while undermining accurate historical accounts.

Anti-history

There is no good or bad history; accurate history is just history. Narratives and myths are created as anti-history or pseudo-history. While ideal history is about providing an accurate and objective account of past events, pseudo-history involves promoting alternative accounts of history that lack reliable evidence or scientific consensus. Anti-history can take the form of denialism, revisionism, propaganda, and myth.

An accurate history is the basis for building a community’s identity, values, and future. Understanding the actual events of the past allows society to learn from previous mistakes and successes. Presenting historical facts without distortion encourages students to think critically about the past, understand the complexity of historical events and promote cultural awareness and tolerance.

A distorted history perpetuates stereotypes and justifies unfair practices and perpetuates errors and misconceptions about the world. Creating narratives based on myths and presenting them as historical facts can undermine the integrity of history and harm society. If historians, academics, educators, and students do not actively fight against these distortions, falsehoods can become entrenched in the public consciousness.

measure

The distortion of history in textbooks, driven by political agendas, is a critical issue with significant implications for education. Here are some suggestions for improving the quality of history textbooks:

• Ensure that history textbooks are written by educators without political affiliations to provide an objective and unbiased perspective and maintain the credibility and accuracy of the historical content.

• Implement a rigorous review process involving reputable academics and historians to ensure that textbooks are comprehensive, balanced, and free of ideological bias.

• Require proper justification for any revisions to promote transparency and accountability and ensure that changes are based on scientific evidence and not political influence.

• Ensure that the authors and reviewers represent all sections of society to capture the multifaceted history of India, including the experiences and contributions of various communities.

• Encourage the media to publish well-researched articles about the revised textbooks and bring public attention to the changes to promote discussion and scrutiny of the revisions.

• Media groups should organize debates on textbook revisions and encourage healthy criticism to ensure greater engagement with content and promote a more informed and critical society.

• Encouraging educational institutions to hold seminars and lectures on the importance of improving history textbooks so that teachers are aware of issues such as historical negation, distortion of historical records, and historical revisionism.

The present is possible because of the past. An accurate account of the past paves the way for a good present and a good future.

The views expressed are personal

The author is an ELT speaker and education columnist. rayanal@yahoo.co.uk