New Delhi. The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has made several significant changes to the Class 12 political science book that is now available in the market. The biggest change is the removal of the term “Babri Masjid”, which is now described as a ‘three-domed structure’ in the new edition. Additionally, the chapter on Ayodhya has been reduced from four pages to two.
What has been changed in the books:
, Removal of Babri Masjid reference: This term has been replaced with ‘three-domed structure’.
* Omissions in Ayodhya chapter: Its content has been reduced from four pages to two pages, which mention Lord Ram’s Rath Yatra, the role of kar sevaks, violence after the demolition of Babri Masjid and imposition of President’s rule.
* Changes in historical details: The Babri Masjid, which was previously described as a mosque built by Mir Baqi in the 16th century, is now described as a structure built in 1528 at the birthplace of Lord Rama, containing Hindu images and idols.
Changes in legal and communal details:
, The old book details the decision of the Faizabad District Court in 1986 to open the mosque for worship, which led to communal tension and riots.
* The new book summarises these events, covering the inauguration of the ‘three-domed structure’ and the subsequent legal and communal conflicts.
The Supreme Court’s decision included: The new version includes the Supreme Court’s 2019 ruling that the disputed land belongs to the temple.
Removing visual content: Newspaper cuttings related to the removal of Kalyan Singh government have also been removed from the books.
Gujarat riots chapter removed: Mention of Gujarat riots has been removed from the chapter on Democratic Rights.
This is the fourth revision of the NCERT book since 2014, reflecting updates based on the latest political developments. The new textbook will be implemented for the 2024-25 academic session, aiming to align the educational content with contemporary political developments.
Mention of BJP’s Rath Yatra removed from new book
The old book began thus – “The second development was the order of the Faizabad District Court in February 1986. The court ordered the opening of the Babri Masjid premises so that Hindus could pray at the place which is considered a temple. The mosque in Ayodhya, popularly known as the Babri Masjid, has been in dispute for several decades. The Babri Masjid was a 16th-century mosque in Ayodhya and was built by Mir Baqi, a general of the Mughal emperor Babur. Some Hindus believe it was built by demolishing a temple of Lord Rama at what is believed to be his birthplace. The dispute took the form of a court case that has been going on for several decades. In the 1940s, the mosque was locked as the matter was in court.
“As soon as the locks of the Babri Masjid were opened, mobilisation began on both sides. Many Hindu and Muslim organisations began mobilising their communities on this question. Suddenly, this local dispute became a major national question and communal tension arose. The BJP made this issue its major electoral and political plank. Along with many other organisations like the RSS and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, they organised a series of symbolic and mobilisation programmes. This massive mobilisation made the atmosphere tense and several incidents of communal violence took place. To garner public support, the BJP took out a massive march called Rath Yatra from Somnath in Gujarat to Ayodhya in UP.
Mention of Kar Seva was removed, mention of accepting the decision in a cordial manner was made:
This paragraph of the new textbook states: “It is important to note that conflicts are bound to occur in any society. However, in a multi-religious and multicultural democratic society, these conflicts are usually resolved following due process of law. Through multiple democratic and legal processes, including court hearings, mediation efforts, popular movements, and ultimately with the 5-0 verdict of the Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court on November 9, 2019, the Ayodhya issue was resolved. This verdict sought to reconcile the conflicting interests of various stakeholders involved in the dispute.
“The verdict allotted the disputed site to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust for the construction of a Ram temple and directed the relevant government to allot a suitable site to the Sunni Central Waqf Board for the construction of a mosque. Thus, democracy gives room for conflict resolution in a pluralistic society like ours while upholding the inclusive spirit of the Constitution. The issue was resolved following due process of law based on evidence such as archaeological excavations and historical records. The Supreme Court verdict was widely celebrated by society. It is an excellent example of consensus building on a sensitive issue that reflects the maturity of democracy that is civilisationally inherent in India.”
Old books talk about Kar Seva in December 1992:
In December 1992, organisations supporting the construction of Ram Mandir organised Kar Seva, which means voluntary service by devotees, for the construction of Ram Mandir. The situation became tense across the country, especially in Ayodhya. The Supreme Court had ordered the state government to take care of the disputed site and not allow it to be endangered. However, on 6 December 1992, thousands of people from across the country gathered in Ayodhya and demolished the mosque. This news led to clashes between Hindus and Muslims in many parts of the country. Violence broke out again in Mumbai in 1993 and continued for more than two weeks.
“The events in Ayodhya led to many other events. The state government with the BJP as the ruling party was dismissed by the Centre. Also, other states where the BJP was in power were also put under President’s rule. A case was filed in the Supreme Court against the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh for contempt of court because he had promised that the disputed structure would be protected. The BJP officially regretted the events in Ayodhya. The central government appointed a commission to investigate the circumstances of the demolition of the mosque.”
The first portions of the 1994 Supreme Court judgment mentioned in the old book have been replaced with a new one in 2019, except for the current judgment.
Tags: Ayodhya, Babri demolition
FIRST PUBLISHED : June 16, 2024, 17:43 IST