Rewriting and reinventing

After more than two decades as India’s dominant political force, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has transformed the country’s political landscape. Its ambitions, however, extend far beyond governance or economic development. Guided by the ideological influence of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the BJP seeks to redefine India’s national identity through the lens of Hindutva. This is not simply a political programme but an attempt to reshape the country’s history, culture, education and public institutions. Whether one agrees with this vision or not, its long term implications deserve serious public debate. The latest revisions to NCERT textbooks are perhaps the clearest expression of this larger project. Important chapters on the Delhi Sultanate and the Mughal Empire have been reduced. References to Mahatma Gandhi’s commitment to Hindu-Muslim unity and the circumstances surrounding his assassination have been shortened. Details about the Emergency of 1975, the Naxalite movement, the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992 and the Gujarat riots of 2002 have either disappeared or been significantly reduced. Even references to Nathuram Godse’s association with the RSS and the temporary ban imposed on the organisation after Gandhi’s assassination have been diluted. Supporters may argue that every government has the right to revise school curricula. True that education cannot remain frozen in time. New discoveries, changing perspectives and improved teaching methods require periodic revisions. But there is a clear difference between educational reform and ideological rewriting. Equally troubling is the removal of Darwin’s theory of evolution from parts of the science curriculum and the growing emphasis on claims about ancient Indian scientific achievements that often lack credible evidence. India’s Constitution calls upon citizens to develop scientific temper, critical thinking and the spirit of inquiry. These values have enabled India to build world class institutions in science, medicine, engineering and technology. If ideology begins to replace evidence in classrooms, future generations may inherit beliefs instead of knowledge. Many respected academics and former textbook advisers have questioned both the content of these revisions and the manner in which they were introduced. Their concern is not about defending one political party or historical period but in protecting the independence of education from political influence. Across the country, cities, roads, railway stations and public institutions have been renamed. Although governments have always changed names from time to time, the scale and direction of these changes suggest an attempt to redefine India’s historical narrative by emphasising one cultural identity while reducing the visibility of others. Changing names cannot solve the country’s pressing challenges in education, employment, healthcare or social harmony. Questions about transparency have also emerged in other areas of governance. The Agnipath recruitment scheme for the armed forces, introduced in 2022 after a prolonged recruitment freeze during the pandemic, represented one of the most significant military reforms in recent decades. Despite its far reaching consequences for national security and military careers, it was introduced without a comprehensive white paper or extensive parliamentary debate. Major policy changes that affect national institutions deserve wider public consultation and careful scrutiny. India’s greatest strength has always been its diversity. Its civilisation has absorbed different faiths, languages, cultures and ideas while remaining united under a democratic Constitution. The country deserves a system that builds informed citizens, not ideological followers, because the future of the Republic depends not on what history is erased, but on how truth is preserved.