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Gujarat riots in NCERT textbook
The events of political significance in post-Independence era like Emergency, Ayodhya dispute and 2002 Gujarat riots may be part of class XII NCERT political science text books.
The events of political significance in post-Independence era like Emergency, Ayodhya dispute and 2002 Gujarat riots may be part of class XII NCERT political science text books.
But, students would read only the government’s view and not that of others. As part of National Curriculum Framework 2005, the NCERT intends that students understand present political atmosphere with events like Gujarat riots and Emergency playing its part.
A panel for preparing political science textbooks has suggested inclusion of events like Gujarat riots, 1984 anti-Sikh riots and Ayodhya dispute in the text books, apart from many other contemporary issues. The new textbooks are to be adopted from April 2007 and are likely to be finalised by early next year.
One of the panel members Yogendra Yadav has an explanation: “You cannot teach Political Science to students side-stepping the major events, which had a significant influence on society and polity, no matter whether controversial or not. Hence, all major events and controversies will be covered in the textbooks”. Students will get basic insight into these incidents.
Yadav says that the established facts taken from government sources would be in the books so that nobody can dispute the facts. For example, the chapter on Gujarat riots will deal with an overview of the incident and the large-scale killing of “people of a particular community,” a move that can evoke sharp reaction from BJP.
The other topics suggested include challenges of communalism, rise of OBCs in North-Indian politics, challenges of and responses to globalisation, democratic upsurge and coalition politics, UF, NDA and UPA governments. The class XII students will also learn about Anti-Sikh riots of 1984 and the Kashmir situation among others.
