NCERT's Controversial History Rewrite: Blaming Congress for India's Partition

A seismic shift in historical narrative is unfolding within India's educational landscape as new NCERT modules for Class 11 and 12 history textbooks squarely point fingers at the Congress party for the Partition of India. These contentious modules assert that Congress's alleged 'hurry' to achieve independence led to its acceptance of the Mountbatten Plan, ultimately carving India into two nations.

The revised curriculum provocatively argues that the Congress leadership failed to unify diverse communities along religious lines, further suggesting that their pursuit of power overshadowed the commitment to a singular, undivided India.

This narrative challenges long-held historical understandings, particularly those that frame Partition as an inevitable consequence of complex geopolitical forces and communal tensions, rather than a direct result of Congress's decisions.

Predictably, the Indian National Congress has erupted in protest, vehemently accusing the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) of a blatant distortion of history and engaging in politically motivated propaganda.

They argue that these modules are an attempt to rewrite India's past, particularly targeting the legacies of towering figures like Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, who have historically been credited with leading the independence movement.

The Congress party maintains that it was steadfastly against the Two-Nation Theory and only consented to Partition as an agonizing last resort to prevent widespread bloodshed and civil war, a decision heavily influenced by the relentless demands and actions of the Muslim League for a separate nation.

They point to the historical context, including the failed Cabinet Mission Plan, which aimed for a united India, and the brutal Direct Action Day unleashed by the Muslim League, which underscored the escalating communal violence.

This historical reinterpretation by NCERT sparks a significant debate about the nature of historical education, the role of political influence in curriculum design, and the ongoing contestation over India's foundational narratives.

As these modules roll out, they are set to shape the understanding of a critical period in Indian history for millions of students, igniting a fresh wave of discussion and controversy across academic and political spheres.