People's
Democracy
(Weekly Organ of the Communist Party of
India (Marxist) No. 02
January 10, 2003
(Weekly Organ of the Communist Party of
India (Marxist) |
Vol.
XXVII No. 02 January 10, 2003 |
AT
its
61st
session
(Kolkata,
2000-01),
this
Congress
had
expressed
considerable
reservation
at
the
NCERT’s
“new
national
curriculum
framework”.
With
the
publication
of
four
new
textbooks,
dealing
with
History,
at
Classes
VI,
IX
and
XI,
it
appears
that
the
fears
expressed
about
the
intentions
of
the
NCERT
were
not
uncalled
for.
There
has
already
been
considerable
alarm
expressed
in
the
press
about
the
grave
departures
from
not
only
the
secular
approach
but
also
about
the
lack
of
elementary
requirements
of
impartiality
when
dealing
with
various
religious
and
linguistic
and
cultural
traditions.
Numerous,
serious
misrepresentations
of
facts,
omissions,
imbalances,
and
grossly
unhistorical
statements
have
been
pointed
out
by
several
reputed
critics.
The
Indian
History
Congress
therefore
resolves
that
the
secretary
may
constitute
a
small
committee
to
go
over
the
new
NCERT
textbooks
and
related
matters,
and
submit
a
report
preferably
within
one
and
a
half
months
to
the
secretary.
The
secretary
shall
circulate
the
report
among
members
of
the
Executive
Committee
for
its
decision
to
be
arrived
at
through
circulation
under
Clause
11.
If
the
report
is
approved
with
or
without
modification
it
should
be
printed
and
released
to
the
press
and
sent
to
concerned
bodies
and
authorities.
THE
Indian
History
Congress
notes
that
several
state
governments
have
decided
not
to
use
the
new
NCERT
textbooks
in
their
schools
owing
to
their
inherent
defects
and
tendentiousness.
The
exercise
of
such
care
in
the
matter
of
school
textbooks
is
a
welcome
development.
The
Indian
History
Congress
also
appeals
to
the
state
governments
concerned
that
many
of
their
own
textbooks
should
also
be
reviewed,
and
their
errors
corrected.
This
will
be
a
strong
complementary
step
to
their
decision
on
the
new
NCERT
textbooks.
Amritsar
Monuments
The
Indian
History
Congress
meeting
at
Amritsar,
the
city
of
the
Golden
Temple,
endorses
the
request
of
the
Punjab
government
to
the
UNESCO
for
declaring
the
Golden
Temple
a
World
Heritage
Site.
It
also
appeals
to
all
authorities
concerned
to
protect
antiquarian
remains
such
as
wall
paintings,
stone
carvings,
etc,
which
are
often
damaged
or
destroyed
during
works
of
renovation,
repairs
or
rebuilding.
This
Congress
is
happy
that
the
famous
Ram
Bagh
complex
has
been
declared
a
protected
monument,
but
there
is
need
to
preserve
the
old
Charbagh
plan
and
remains
of
original
waterworks
and
channels.
New
constructional
activity
should
not
be
permitted.
For
such
preservation
the
work
of
voluntary
organizations
is
very
important,
and
this
Congress
especially
appreciates
the
work
at
Amritsar
of
the
Indian
National
Trust
for
Art
and
Cultural
Heritage
(INTACH).
Promotion
of
heritage
education
is
also
an
essential
component
of
the
effort
to
protect
our
monuments
and
antiquities;
and
we
hope
that
the
Punjab
government
will
take
an
initiative
in
incorporating
such
education
in
the
scheme
of
school
education,
so
that
the
entire
country
may
follow
it.
