- An NCERT panel, headed by historian CI Issac, recommended replacing ‘India with Bharat’ in school textbooks.
- Many leaders from different parties expressed their strong opposition to the idea.
- The words ‘President of Bharat’ in an official invitation from the Rashtrapati Bhavan to the G20 member leaders and delegates for a ceremonial dinner earlier had triggered a fierce political battle.
- Kerala education minister said that the state government will not accept an NCERT high-level committee’s recommendation.
- The minister alleged that this was a move by the BJP-led Central government to distort historical facts.
An NCERT panel, headed by historian CI Issac, recommended replacing ‘India with Bharat’ in school textbooks. The recommendations were made by a seven-member Committee for Social Sciences, which is among the committees constituted by the NCERT to prepare position papers on various subjects.
The Opposition was up in arms on Wednesday against this suggestion. Many leaders from different parties expressed their strong opposition to the idea. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and MP Priyanka Chaturvedi called the idea a “political decision”. The words ‘India that is Bharat’ were written in our Constitution by Dr. BR Ambedkar himself. For us, India is also Bharat and Hindustan. If the BJP had any sense of national pride, they would not change the name ‘India’ to ‘Bharat’.”
West Bengal Education Minister and Trinamool Congress leader, Bratya Basu, also slammed the Centre over the NCERT panel’s suggestion and said, “This is a ridiculous suggestion. It is clear that the BJP-led central government is afraid of the word INDIA. It is a strange decision.
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar also criticised the Centre over the NCERT panel’s suggestion and said, “Why are we still saying the Reserve Bank of India, Indian Administrative Service and Indian Foreign Service? Our passports still have the words ‘Republic of India’ written on them. I think there is something fundamentally wrong with this government. Why are they confusing the citizens unnecessarily? The Karnataka government will not make any such changes to textbooks.”
The words ‘President of Bharat’ in an official invitation from the Rashtrapati Bhavan to the G20 member leaders and delegates for a ceremonial dinner earlier had triggered a fierce political battle and raised doubts that the Centre was planning to introduce a motion in Parliament to rename ‘India’ as ‘Bharat’.
Kerala education minister V Sivankutty on Thursday said that the state government will not accept an NCERT high-level committee’s recommendation. The minister alleged that this was a move by the BJP-led Central government to distort historical facts.
Sivankutty also said that the Kerala government will convene the State Curriculum Committee to discuss in detail the work of preparing the 44 textbooks that are currently used in the state keeping the academic interests of the students in mind.
Speaking to ANI over the phone, Issac said the “term India started being used commonly only after the establishment of the East India Company and the battle of Plassey in 1757″.”We have unanimously recommended that the ‘Bharat’ should be used in textbooks for students across classes,” Isaac said.
(With inputs from agencies)
