Unlike the previous edition, Class 12 students, in the political science books from NCERT that have hit the shelves this week, will be studying about the 2002 Gujarat riots, a departure from the ‘anti-Muslim’ Gujarat riots they were studying till now.
As reported in The Indian Express, changes were made to the last chapter of the book titled ‘Recent Developments in Indian Politics’. The heading of the passage, which describes the riots, has been changed from ‘Anti-Muslim riots in Gujarat’ to just ‘Gujarat riots’. However, The Indian Express notes that in the same paragraph, the 1984 riots are described as anti-Sikh.
As reported by Hindustan Times, the passage earlier read: “In February-March 2002, large-scale violence against Muslims took place in Gujarat”. In the updated version, it reads: “In February-March 2002, large-scale violence took place in Gujarat”.
The paragraph also mentions: “A bogey of a train that was returning from Ayodhya and was full of Karsevaks was set on fire. Fifty-seven people died in that fire. Suspecting the hand of the Muslims in setting fire to the bogey, large-scale violence against Muslims began in many parts of Gujarat from the next day. This violence continued for almost a whole month. Nearly 1,100 persons, mostly Muslims, were killed in this violence.”
The Indian Express reported that according to an answer of the government on the floor of the parliament, 790 Muslims and 254 Hindus were killed, 223 were reported missing, and 2,500 injured in the Gujarat riots in 2002.
The rest of the passage is the same as in the old version of the textbook.
The changes made are a part of a review undertaken by the NCERT, the first since 2007. The changes were first suggested by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) in June 2017, when RK Chaturvedi was its chairman.
In an attempt to defend dropping ‘anti-Muslim’ out, NCERT officials told Hindustan Times that in the approved syllabus, the term anti-Muslim did not exist, but was added in the text book.
The syllabus clearly uses the word Gujarat riots. However, the textbook had included the word “Anti-Muslim’. When we started the work on updating the books, we were informed about it and we have reverted to.A senior NCERT official on the condition of anonymity to HT.
After the first line, where 'against Muslims’ is dropped, the passage goes on to read, “The immediate provocation for this violence was an incident that took place at a station called Godhra. A bogey of a train that was returning from Ayodhya and was full of karsevaks (volunteers) was set on fire. Fifty-seven people died in that fire. Suspecting the hands of Muslims in setting fire to the bogey, large-scale violence against Muslims began in many parts of Gujarat from the next day. This violence continued for almost a whole month.”
The criticism of the Gujarat government is also intact. “The National Human Rights Commission criticised the Gujarat government’s role in failing to control violence, provide relief to the victims and prosecute the perpetrators of this violence. The EC ordered the assembly elections to be postponed.”
To Hindustan Times NCERT officials maintained that this was a minor change.
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