NCERT Director Dinesh Saklani Backs The Recent Changes Made in Textbook on The Ayodhya Dispute

On the orders of the Supreme court now the CBSE political science 12th class students will read ‘Babri Masjid as a “three-domed structure” in their NCERT books.
The new changes in the textbook have cut short the Ayodhya Ram temple section from four to two pages.

Backing the recent changes NCERT Director Dinesh Saklani said that changes were made on the directions of the experts as the books do not want to make ‘violent, depressed’ citizens.

Mr. Saklani the changes were made according to ‘global practices’, of revising old texts into new texts.

He also said about shortened content on Ayodhya context that because the NCERT books are very small, if anyone would want to know more about the topic, then they could ‘read about it from elsewhere’.

What are the Sections Omitted from the book?

The sections which have been deleted includes the sub-topics like:

1. BJP rath yatra from Somnath in Gujarat to Ayodhya.
2. The role of Kar Sevaks
3. And, the 6th June 1992 violence over the demolition of the Babri Masjid.
4. President’s rule in BJP ruled sattes
5. BJP’s expression of “regret over the happenings at Ayodhya”.

Old Text –

“Fourth, a number of events culminated in the demolition of the disputed structure at Ayodhya (known as Babri Masjid) in December 1992. This event symbolised and triggered various changes in the politics of the country and intensified debates about the nature of Indian nationalism and secularism. These developments are associated with the rise of the BJP and the politics of ‘Hindutva’.”

New Text –

“Fourth, the centuries-old legal and political dispute over the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya started influencing the politics of India, which gave birth to various political changes. The Ram Janmabhoomi Temple Movement, becoming the central issue, transformed the direction of the discourse on secularism and democracy. These changes culminated in the construction of the Ram Temple at Ayodhya following the decision of the Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court (which was announced on November 9, 2019).”