Netizens took to social media recently to express their shock at the decision of the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), the premier educational body that prepares and publishes textbooks used by schools across India, to include a chapter written by far-left ‘activist’ and Anti-Hindu Delhi riots accused Harsh Mander.
Saket Suryesh, author and columnist, shared a screenshot of an NCERT English textbook of Class XI to highlight that he found an essay written by Harsh Mander, a person accused of money laundering. The author also sarcastically said that the essay written by brilliant literary person Mander has been interspersed between “smaller writers” like O. Henry and Oscar Wilde.
The textbook also carries essays and chapters written by authors such as Mulk Raj Anand, RK Lakshman, Ruskin Bond, etc.
The American writer William Sydney Porter, better known by his pen name O. Henry, and Irish writer Oscar Wilder are considered to be among the greatest short-story writers and playwrights in the world.
I was just checking new @ncert books for class IX of my daughter. Found an article by brilliant literary person and person charged with money laundering, Shri Harsh Mander, interspersed between smaller writers like O’ Henry and Oscar Wilde. Why do we have these two gents here? pic.twitter.com/pGOxPvOsGH
— saket साकेत ಸಾಕೇತ್ 🇮🇳 (@saket71) April 3, 2022
Saket Suryesh expressed his shock that the NCERT, the autonomous body that decides on the contents of the textbooks, had decided to include a chapter written by Harsh Mander, a notorious anti-Hindu propagandist close to Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and an accused in the Anti-Hindu riots case.
The screenshot shared by Saket Suryesh showed that NCERT has carried an essay – ‘Weathering The Storm In Ersama’, written by Harsh Mander, based on a true story of the adventures of a teenager Prashant during his stay at cyclone-hit Odisha.
Another social media user also took a pot shot at NCERT for including a chapter written by a riot-accused. Anand Kumar said it was wonderful to see literary giants like Harsh Mander find a place in the English textbooks of NCERT.
Wow!!! It’s wonderful to see that literary giants like #HarshMander find a place in #English text books of #NCERT! https://t.co/DPCnNsdivV
— Anand Kumar (@anandydr) April 3, 2022
As it was revealed that the NCERT textbooks contained content written by Harsh Mander, social media expressed their disappointment by highlighting his role in instigating Muslims to resort to violence during the Anti-CAA riots that culminated in the Ant-Hindu riots in the national capital in February 2021 leading to the death of 53 people.
pic.twitter.com/4CaquDeN3l https://t.co/OIjfXFHpHR
— iMac_too (@iMac_too) April 3, 2022
Interestingly, this is not the first time that social media users have flagged this issue. For over two years, netizens have complained to the Modi government and the NCERT to exclude content written by individuals such as Harsh Mander. However, it seems like their appeals have fallen on deaf years as NCERT still continues to carry essays written by people associated with criminal activities, such as Harsh Mander.
Last year, Mohit Agarwal had also raised a similar objection against NCERT’s decision to include an essay written by Harsh Mander.
CBSE/NCERT Grade-9 English Supplementary book “Moments”.
— Mohit Agrawal (@Haryanwi_Chora) May 15, 2021
Look at the marked author! 🤦@Aabhas24 @kashyap9991 @gopugoswami @ShefVaidya pic.twitter.com/I1dy579h03
However, despite several complaints raised by the parents and social media users, the NCERT has not taken any action to remove content written by far-left entities accused of instigating riots in the country.
The chapter has been included in the textbook titles Moments, a supplementary reader in English for class IX students. According to the information displayed in the Class XI English textbook, the chapter was first included by the NCERT in the year 2006, during the Manmohan Singh government. Ever since then, the chapter has continued to remain in the curriculum. The content has remained the same for the last 15 years, and no changes have been made in the previous eight years despite several people raising objections against the inclusion of Harsh Mander’s works in the school curriculum.
Who is Harsh Mander?
Controversial far-left-wing ‘activist’ Harsh Mander is one of the leading faces of the anti-Hindu establishment in the country. Harsh Mander had worked in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) for almost two decades and quit the services’ in protest’ against the ‘state-sponsored riots’ in Gujarat in 2002.
Since he left the IAS, Harsh Mander has indulged in suspicious activities under the guise of ‘civil society’ organisations. Among his many contributions, he has worked as the country director of ActionAid India. However, he is most famous for his service in Sonia Gandhi’s National Advisory Council (NAC), which drafted the anti-Hindu Communal Violence Bill.
Presently, Harsh Mander is the Director of the Centre for Equity Studies (CES). It has received funds from Christian Evangelical Organizations, and he has openly batted for religious conversions in the past.
Harsh Mander is also a known Ishrat apologist, the female LeT operative who was killed in an encounter along with three others by Crime Branch Officials in Gujarat. He was also one of the individuals who had signed a mercy petition for the Mumbai Attack Terrorist Yakub Memon and was among the 203 persons who had signed the mercy petition for Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab and had signed the mercy petition for Afzal Guru also.
Harsh Mander was also one of the forty ‘activists’ who had filed a review petition in the Court against the Ayodhya Verdict that has paved the way for a Bhavya Ram Mandir at Ayodhya.
In addition, Harsh Mander’s role in instigating the Anti-Hindu Delhi riots, particularly the violence around the Jamia Millia Islamia campus in December 2019, has been under scrutiny for some time now. During a protest march, Harsh Mander, who is associated with billionaire George Soros, was seen inciting mobs to hit the streets to protest against the country.
“Ab faisla Sansad me ya Supreme Court me nahi hoga. Supreme Court ne Ayodhya aur Kashmir k mamle me Secularism ki raksha nahi ki. Isliye ab faisla Sadkon per hoga” Harsh Mander tells to a cheering mob.
— Rahul Kaushik (@kaushkrahul) March 3, 2020
Any doubt who’s vitiating atmosphere & creating anarchy in the country? pic.twitter.com/9cGNh9KNro
Mander was heard saying how there is no scope for secularism in the Supreme Court, especially after the Ayodhya verdict. Speaking to a gathering in Delhi, the foreign-funded activist was seen inciting the mob, calling them to descend on the streets to decide for themselves based on the show of strength. Mander claimed that the time has now come for people to hit the streets as both Supreme Court and parliament have failed them.
Harsh Mander, with his organisation ‘Karwaan-e-Mohabbat’, had published a report on the violence at the Aligarh Muslim University that absolved the students of all sins and peddled numerous lies against the Uttar Pradesh Police. Harsh Mander had also promised to register himself as a Muslim if the CAA was passed. He has also spread great lies about the NRC in the past and the foreign tribunals in Assam.
Shockingly, despite the fact that all his anti-Hindu propaganda is out in public, NCERT has not so far considered scrutinising its decision to include his chapter in the textbooks.
