Shed the ideological baggage

CBSE circular defies both ethics and rationality

RAM PUNIYANI

The CBSE has ordered the deletion of certain portions from the history books with the instruction that these should neither be taught nor discussed in the class. The prime minister has gone on to defend this retrogressive move.

HRD Minister Murli Manohar Joshi has been acting in a hurry to implement the communal agenda of the RSS-BJP in the field of education. During the last three years, the structure and functioning of the NCERT, ICHR and other apex bodies dealing with education have been changed to pack them with those who do not have any academic standing but are loyal to certain ideology. The present circular also defies all ethics and rationality.

While the ‘new’ history books have been commissioned with authors whose names are not being disclosed, it is clear that they are being written to promote a particular ideology. This ideology cannot tolerate the objective learning of history. In contrast, the methods of modern historiography try to look at the past in all its aspects, society as a multifaceted being. The communal ideology looks at history through the prism of religion and all the events are interpreted through the religion of the kings. In this view all the uncomfortable events are deleted with ease.

Interestingly, for those indulging in this type of historiography, kings belonging to ‘their’ religion were the virtuous ones, the great ones. If they invade other’s territory it is bravery and if the kings belonging to ‘other’ religion do the same it is barbarism. In this view of history there is no place at all for looking at human, gender relationships and the like.

Currently the other equally dangerous path being pursued in the field of education is to introduce courses, which promote blind faith e.g., courses in karmakand, purohitya and astrology etc. Introduction of astrology in the face of great advances in astronomy gives us the insight about the contrasting methods of faith and reason. Faith-based astrology has non-existent planets like Rahu and Ketu as the key players, it regards Saturn, which in reality comprises rings of frozen gases, as a demon. As per astrology, one can get the ‘much sought after’ male child by doing Putreshti Yagna, while even the knowledge of elementary biology will tell us that the sex of a child is determined not by pleasing the planets but by X or Y chromosome, which meets the ovum. These moves are aimed at stifling and rooting out the very basic aim of education, to cultivate critical and independent thinking amongst the children. The current move is a prelude to the long-term goal of controlling the mindset of the society in a particular direction and to create a conformist society.

A similar education policy in Pakistan has played havoc with the educationsystem there. The thinking of a large chunk of society has become stunted and the newer generations are not able to throw up good professionals rooted in science and other modern disciplines. The present moves of the government are aimed at neutralising whatever little progress the country has been making in the field of education and modern historiography. The present circular is the first step in a direction, which will result in the fragmentation of the cultural bonding of different communities. This will also deliver a crushing blow to the scientific temper, promotion of which is one of the basic goals of our Constitution.

The writer teaches at IIT Mumbai