CBSE proposes changing ‘anti-Muslim riots’ to ‘Gujarat riots’ in Class 12 Political Science textbook

A Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) proposal made in a meeting of the CBSE’s course review committee in New Delhihas proposed that the Class 12 Political Science II book refer to the 2002 communal riots in Gujarat simply as the “Gujarat riots” instead of the current “anti-Muslim riots". The textbook in question was published in 2007, when the previous United Progressive Alliance government led by the Congress was in power.

A section on the riots can be found under the subheading, “Anti-Muslim riots in Gujarat”, in the book’s ninth chapter titled “Politics in India since Independence”. The section goes on to describe the chain of events triggered by the killing of 57 kar sevaks in Godhra.

A spokesperson of the NCERT, which prints textbooks used in CBSE schools, sought to dissociate his organisation from the matter. “This was not a meeting of the NCERT’s review committee, but CBSE’s. We only sent a representative. If CBSE has recommended a change, it is one part of a range of feedback that we (expect to) receive,” NCERT official Hemant Kumar told Scroll.in.

This story is based upon an article originally published here.

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