by Zafar Iqbal Yousafzai 1 May 2023
The recent modifications to India’s educational curriculum by the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) regime have sparked widespread concern among scholars and educators. The revisions have been accused of promoting a Hindu nationalist agenda—whitewashing the country’s Muslim history, and erasing crucial historical context about caste discrimination and minority communities. The move has been seen as a step towards creating a generation of students who lack an understanding of Indian history, social justice, democracy, and diversity.
Critics of the curriculum revision have pointed out that this is not the first time that BJP-led state governments have attempted to revise textbooks. However, the fact that the changes are now being implemented at a national level has raised alarm bells. Scholars warn that the new curriculum will create a distorted view of history, erasing crucial details and contexts that are important for understanding the country’s past and present.
One of the most concerning aspects of the new curriculum is the deletion of an entire chapter in the 12th-grade history textbook, “Kings and Chronicles: The Mughal Courts,” which detailed the Mughal Empire’s rule in India. The Mughal Empire, which ruled over India for over three centuries, played a crucial role in shaping the country’s culture, politics, and economy. By deleting this chapter, the new curriculum erases an important chapter in India’s history and promotes a distorted view of the country’s past.
In addition to omitting details about the Mughal Empire, the new curriculum also slims down or omits chapters on the country’s historic Islamic rulers. This move has been criticized as an attempt to promote a Hindu nationalist narrative that erases the contributions of Muslim rulers and reduces them to mere invaders. The changes also include the pruning of passages that connect Hindu extremism to independence leader Mohandas K. Gandhi’s assassination. Critics argue that this move is an attempt to whitewash the role of Hindu nationalists in Gandhi’s murder, and promote a distorted view of history that absolves the right-wing Hindu nationalist movement of any wrongdoing.
The BJP has applauded the changes, with party leaders tweeting that it was a “great decision” and referring to the prior content on India’s Mughal Empire as “false history.” However, scholars argue that the changes are alarming and remove crucial context for students’ worldview. The move towards revising the curriculum is not unique to India. In the United States, there is an ongoing debate around teaching about race in schools. The right-wing in both countries fears that history-learning by students will produce rational or progressive citizens who question the status quo. The BJP’s attempts to revise the curriculum can be seen as a part of a global trend towards promoting a distorted view of history, one that erases the contributions of minorities and promotes a right-wing agenda.
Another area of concern for critics is the revision of material related to India’s caste system. The changes to the curriculum have been criticized for glossing over the issue of caste discrimination, an issue that has long plagued India’s society. The textbook revisions are being seen as an attempt to downplay the importance of the issue, which has been a major obstacle to social justice in India. Many scholars and activists argue that the changes to the curriculum are part of a larger attempt by the ruling BJP to rewrite the country’s history and create a homogenous Hindu identity. This has been a central theme of Modi’s political rhetoric, with him often speaking of a ‘New India’ that is Hindu and proud of its ancient heritage.
The BJP’s agenda has been criticized by many as being discriminatory and divisive, and the curriculum revisions are seen as part of this broader strategy. The move has also been criticized by many in the international community, with human rights groups calling for the Indian government to reverse the changes to the curriculum. Despite the criticism, the BJP has defended the revisions to the curriculum, stating that they are necessary to create a more accurate and truthful representation of India’s history. However, many scholars argue that the changes are a distortion of the country’s rich and diverse history and will ultimately do more harm than good.
Thus, the revisions to India’s educational curriculum have been met with widespread criticism, with many scholars and activists arguing that they are part of a larger attempt to create a homogenous Hindu identity and downplay issues of social justice and diversity. The move has been criticized by human rights groups and has raised concerns about the future of education in India. As the country continues to grapple with issues of identity and social justice, it remains to be seen what impact the curriculum revisions will have on the next generation of Indian citizens. It is crucial that scholars and educators continue to speak out against attempts to revise history and promote a distorted view of the past. Only by understanding the complexities and nuances of history can we hope to build a better future for all.