Haryana Board of Secondary Education has launched new history books for class VI to class X. The class IX textbook has sparked controversy as it blames the alleged appeasement policy of Congress of Partition of India in 1947. The book has been uploaded to the board’s website. Published in Hindi, the book talked about the Partition of India in Chapter 8.
Section four named “Congress’ appeasement policy” under “The reasons of Partition of India” the book reads, “The Congress wanted to collaborate with the Muslim League against the British government. The Lucknow Pact of 1916, the Khilafat Movement of 1919 and the Gandhi-Jinnah talks in 1944 were examples of the appeasement policy. It encouraged communalism. Mohammed Ali Jinnah was wooed again and again, and due to the undue importance he got, he started opposing Congress regularly. The condition of the country was downgrading every day. Communal riots were happening in the country, and Muslim League was behind them. Congress was sure at that time to maintain peace in the country, it was essential to agree to the demand of partition.”
It further read, “A question is still needs to be answered. If the partition was necessary to ensure peace between the two countries, why hasn’t the peace been established even today.”
Board Chairman Prof Jagbir Singh, however, maintained that Congress leaders were eager to assume power. He said that is why they had agreed to the partition. Singh argued, “Had they agreed to share power with Jinnah, the country wouldn’t have had to face Partition as he (Jinnah) died soon thereafter.”
Veer Savarkar and RSS founder KB Hedgewar also found space in the history books. Prof Singh said, “It’s more important to mention that he was sentenced to imprisonment for two births and suffered atrocities.” He added, “There was a need to change history books as earlier they were more focused on the Mughals and the Britishers. We have added how Haryana contributed to the freedom struggle.”
In the Class X book, the Indus Valley Civilisation has been renamed as ‘Saraswati Indus Civilisation’. Associate Prof Ramesh Kumar from Government College, Bilaspur (Yamunanagar), the main coordinator for the books, said, “We are not undermining the Indus Valley Civilisation. It’s only that a number of new sites emerged alongside erstwhile Saraswati river.”
Opposition fumed over the textbook
Former Chief Minister of Haryana and Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda rejected the changes in the textbooks and called it politicisation of education. He said, “They should have taught how the Congress’ struggle led to Independence.”
