The distortions and lies incorporated in the NCERT history books during the UPA regime must be recitified
Ajay Bharadwaj
The examination and rectification of the lies and distortions in the NCERT (The National Council of Educational Research and Training) history textbooks should be prioritised, said the BJP Rajya Sabha MP Dr Subramanian Swamy while recently releasing the book, Brainwashed Republic, co-authored by Neeraj Atri and Munieshwer A Sagar, at the Constitution Club, Delhi.
“Brainwashed Republic brings to fore the impunity with which the NCERT was compromised during the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) regime. During both the terms of the ousted alliance, history was totally rewritten to serve the purpose of divisive forces which are trying to uproot Hindu ethos of the
country. Young and impressionable minds of the children are being hijacked to be more prone to accept the narrative of breaking India forces,” said Dr Swamy while speaking at the occasion.
The history needs to be rewritten so that young generation gets rid of their low-esteem imposed through distorted history, if India has to emerge as
powerful nation in the next couple of decades,” said Subramanian Swamy The process has to begin from removing the distortions in history books which have been deliberately foistered on the students.Our history books exhibit obsession with foreign rule. For example even though the Mughal rule from Akbar to Aurangzeb is of about 150 years, which is much shorter than 350 years rule of the Vijaynagar Empire, the history books today hardly take notice of the latter.
It is high time the history textbooks are rewritten so that the narrative of our country is depicted with honesty. Our nation’s past is full of cultural, social, economic and scientific achievements. The current history books would, however, undermine the achievements and burden the children with inferiority complex by talking at lenght about
foreign rule. The social dissonance that these books create should be rectified.
Dr Subramanian said “Brainwashed Republic is valuable for historians and researchers in the field of history. The book presents in a step by step way
historical facts juxtaposed with the lies in the current NCERT history textbooks. The book is an honest and an unique effort in preparing this compilation which is very useful and handy for all the relevant information and needs to be lauded.”
Earlier sharing the insights from the book, Neeraj Atri, who is also chairman of the National Centre for Historical Research and Comparative Studies (NCHRCS), said, “Facts are the guiding light for the book and not any ideology. The book exposes the blatant manner in which democratic institutions are being used to subvert the thought process of Indians. It exposes how this academic subversion sows the seeds of social unrest among various groups on the basis of linguistic, regional and caste identities.”
The NCERT history textbooks, read and internalised by millions of school children every year, are supposed to be the product of highest academic quality and honesty. “But we found that the expert historians have been replaced by propagandists who have unashamedly played havoc with our history”, said Neeraj Atri.
The book is the result of more than six years of in-depth research. Authors had earlier applied for detailed information regarding the current history textbooks from the NCERT under the RTI Act (Right to Information Act). Later on, they, under the aegis of NCHRCS, had filed a writ petition in the Punjab & Haryana High Court and pointed out over 182 anomalies and unsubstantiated
statements and biases in the NCERT History textbooks of Class VI to XII.
Emphasising the importance of a
fact-based history devoid of any
ideological padding, author Munieshwer A Sagar, a senior journalist, said, “Our fellow citizens have every right to know what lies are being peddled in name of history. We hope that bringing these facts to public domain will help in eradicating these distortions from Indian history. It is high time that the decision makers take preventive and corrective measures to avoid the damage that this subversion can lead to.”
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