Contentization of History to be taught in schools - A Reply to the MHRD Request

To :     Shri Narendra Modi, The Prime Minister, Government of Bharat, New Delhi

 Through: Shri Dharmendra Pradhan                                                                   

            The Education Minister,

            Government of Bharat, New Delhi

           

Dear Modi Ji and Dharmendra Pradhan Ji,

 

SUB:   The Inclusivity and contentization in the study of History of Bharat in School .

 

Everyone of this great country be it entrepreneurs, self – employed, professionals (from the engineering fraternity, Medical fraternity & Information technology fraternity), educationists (school teachers, professors and administrators), students, agriculturists & agribusiness specialists as well as people working in the government sectors - each one of us shares a dream to make Bharat a “Vishwa Guru” and a “Vishwa Sarathi”. We have accepted that our past is unchangeable but we certainly feel we can pave a much better path for achieving this vision.

 This letter is to address the need for the inclusivity of contents that meet the criteria of relevance, true history of Bharat and ensure that pride and patriotism is established in the minds of the school students. We urge the panel of the HRD ministry under your able leadership to view this message seriously and look at how best these suggestions can be implemented. The points mentioned hereunder are an outcome of intrinsic research of my team with discussions had with parents, educational Institution Heads and students too .

 Understanding The Students Mindset On History….

When we have enquired with students about what they think and feel about history as a schooling subject? The most common responses that we received is

1.       It’s all about wars and dates

2.       Its story about the lives of kings and queens and how they ruled.

3.       It gives information about ruins (the remains of places destroyed) and the monuments that were built in the memory of the kings or their kinsmen.

Though this was their primary understanding, we thought there was more to know and learn from history. It is the subject that not just reveals what happened in the past but also act in building and strengthening the internal makeup the learner or student. It is keeping this in mind that we have envisaged into answering 3 questions (1.) What needs to be revealed to the students and at what level?.... (2.) why should these contents be revealed…. (3.) What is the manner in which it should be revealed?.... 

 What We Feel History Should Mean….

However, we felt there’s a lot that history as a subject can talk about, mean and be taught. Thus, we feel that

1.       The subject should not just be informative but be educative too. It should reveal not just people but also on the science, technology and the wonderful contributions of the people of Bharat from ancient times to the recent medieval times.

2.       It should work on character building through role modelling that reveal the qualities of individuals (Kings, Queens, Ministers, Saints & Other People) that instil valour, courage, steadfastness, honesty, intelligence, wisdom, integrity and should instil the feeling of Bharatiya in them.

3.       The subject should ensure positive reinforcements and mental constructs that bring about constructivism into the children and shun all contents that give or introduce negativism.

4.       It should be FACTS UNVEILED – thus leaving no scope for doubts or disbelief on the content revealed to the students.

 Who should be made responsible for Contentization?

Earlier the onus of creating the content of the history was laid in the hands of well-known historians or writers/ authors or senior schools teachers/ College Teachers teaching history etc who we feel have never proven to be authentic in revealing the true history of our country. They are either fictional or they have had their own interpretations that have brought the present education setup to the cross roads or reworking on the history subject itself. Therefore, it is imperative that this responsibility should be entrusted to the Archaeological Survey Of India (ASI) who are custodians of the evidence (by way of documents, coins, artefacts, ballads, folklore, that reveal the truth of those times. They are authoritative and authentic in actually owning the data through scientific validation and research that will reveal the true history of the country that is essential to be known and made known to every single citizen of this country.  

 What should the content contain and how should it be revealed?

Subject Area	National History	Regional/ Local History
LEVEL 1 – FOR CLASSES 3 TO 5 People & Personalities   These are the years of heroics, hero worship and idolization thus, the students in these classes need inspirational stories that can embed qualities of courage, valour honesty, integrity, patriotism,  pride that can work on building and strengthening the character of the student.	The students should be introduced to people & personalities that create a positive mindset about those people & personalities who made a difference to elevating the name of our country by their presence during their times. These are people whose presence was universally found across the land of AKHAND BHARAT. The lives of these people impacted the whole country though it may have happened in a specific region.   There have been a lot of invasions on this country that were well handled and managed by those great Indians needs to include – about valiant Kings like: Puru (during Alexanders Invasion), Chandragupt Maurya (established the first Akhand Bharat), Skanda Gupt (Huns Invasion), Bappa Rawal (Persian & Arabic Invasion), Pritviraj Chauhan (Ghori Invasion)   There have been saints & sages whose contributions have given an identity to the country & to us too so as to be known in the world as Bharatiya – like Vyasa (Mahabharata) Valmiki (Ramayana), Kashyapa (who was instrumental for Kashmir), Bhagirath (invoking river ganga), Madhwacharya (Proponent of dwaita Philosophy), Adi Shankara (proponent of shaivism/ Advaita),  Ramanujacharya (Shri Vaishnava philosophy),  Meera Bai, Kabir das, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Vivekananda, Aurobindo Gosh, Down to those common men and youth of present India and ancient India who worked through towards attaining Independence.	The students should be introduced to local and regional people & personalities who gave an identity to that region/ local/ state that they are presently living. This will connect the regional history to the children thus making them remember those worthy people who created an impact at those times in that state (Karnataka or Delhi or Orissa or Andhra or Gujarat etc.. each state having their own heros)     The reign of Hakka Bukka, Pulakeshi, Krishnadevaraya, Abbaka, Chennamma etc for Karnataka or Raja Raja Chola, Pandya, etc for Tamil Nadu or Shivaji, Baji Rao Peshwa, Ahilya Bai Holkar etc for Maharashtra and so on for each state they can have their own set of worthy personalities.   Veerabramhendra Swamy, Raghavendra teertha, Ramadasa, Hatiram baba etc of Andhra or  Samarth Ramdas, Tukaram, Namadev, Gnaneshwar etc of Maharashtra or Purandara Dasa, Vijaya Vittala Dasa, Kanakadasa, sakku bai, Basaveshwara, Kaiwar Tataiya etc of Karnataka  and so on for each state they can have their own set of worthy saints who with their contributions brought about a coherent social order..
LEVEL 2 – FOR CLASSES 6 TO 8 Places, Art, Culture & Monuments   These are the times where the students mind is inquisitive and in a state of awe for anything and everything it sees or hears. It is here that he learns to appreciate the wonders around him, seeks to explore and experience without any analysis. Hence the student needs to be introduced to segments that fuels and satisfies the wonders in his own way.	These should Include Forts, the construction and science behind their construction, the systems prevalent there eg the siphon system of water lifting at Golkonda Fort, The whisper communication at Gol Gumbaz, The enemical communication at Golkonda, the Simha Gad/ Kondanda Fort, Mewad fort, Srirangapatnam Fort for their impenetrable quality,  the longest fort in Asia kumbalgarh. Etc..   The temple architecture & the construction of Brihadeeshwara (Tanjavur), Sriranganath Temple (Srirangam), Meenakshi Temple (Madurai), Durga Temple (Aihole), Shri Padmanabhaswamy Temple (Travancore), Chand ki Baudi (Rajasthan), Sun Temple (Konark), Vijaya Vittala Temple (Hampi), Sharada Temple (Shringeri), Chausat Yogini Temple (Madhya Pradesh), Varadaraj Swamy Temple (Kanchipuram), Shore Temples (Mahabalipuram), Maluti Temples (Jharkand), Rabdentse (Sikkim), Basgo (Ladakh), Unakoti (Tripura), Patadakkal (Karnataka), Kanch Mahal (Agra), Bada Bagh (Jaisalmer), Rosary Church (Hasan Karnataka), Zampa Gateway (Diu & Daman), Arvalem Rock Cut (Goa), Undavalli Caves (Andhra), Karle Caves (Maharashtra), Bhangarh Fort (Rajasthan), Jageshwar (Uttarakhand), Cellular Jail (Andaman), Rani Ki Vav (Gujarat), Champner Pavagadh Park (Gujarat), Bidar Fort (Karnataka), Sarkhej Roza (Gujarat), Salim Singh Ki Haveli (Jaisalmer), Maner Sharif (Bihar) etc…. These are places and monuments that are unheard of my almost all the students which have a great history behind in construction, usage and educative making the students well informed about the whole of India rather than just the Taj Mahal or Red Fort of Agra/ Delhi. This can also result in promoting tourism of the respective places.   Art forms Gandhara and Mathura, The paintings of Ajantha, Ellora, Elephanta Caves, Bhimbetka, Lenyadri, Bagh, Sittanavasal, Aramamalai, Badami, Adamgarh, Jogimara etc…. These can help relive the art forms and also encourage students to take up a new skill in painting or sculpturing. Another way of encouraging tourism too.	There can be a few monuments that are regional/ local too present in the respective state that the state can add & propagate it to the students.
LEVEL 3 – FOR CLASSES 9 & 10 Science, Technology & Other Contributions by Indians   These are the years where the students mind gets into mode to exhibit broader comprehension and understanding. It will be their innate nature to explore, analyse, accept and adopt all that can be scientifically explained and supported by facts and evidences.	This section needs to be introduced in 3 segments 1.       VEDIC PERIOD: Years Prior to 1 AD: Vedic Science and all the sciences, achievements, inventions, knowledge bases, philosophies, subject matters which reveal the inventions and sciences that were in existence/ brought into existence/ used and applied at those time. 2.       NEO-VEDIC PERIOD: 1 AD to 1950 : This era should reveal the sciences, technology and the subjective mastery that the neo-Vedic 3.       MODERN INDIA: POST 1950: This era should outline the inventions, innovations, achievements and sciences that have been great contributions in this modern world.

 How should the History Subject be delivered?

It is important to delivere in a manner that is completely different from the way other subjects are taught. This is because all other subjects meet the intellectual aspect of the mind but History goes further deep into addressing the emotional, moral and spiritual aspects of the mind thus impacting the individual as a whole.

 However, when designing the contents and its delivery, it becomes all the more important to look at the IDEA principle.

PRINCIPLE	CONTENTISING & DELIVERY
I – INQUISITIVE	Should create curiosity and satisfy the inquisitive mind
D – DESIRE	Should instil in the student the desire to know more
E – EDUCATE & EXPERIENCE	Should educate through facts/ evidences and placing un-doctored truth before them to help them accept it whole-mindedly. There should be enough ways to help the student experience the history of place/ monuments/ art/ architecture/ painting/ culture etc that will help them ingrain value for the past and also pave their minds towards preservation and conservation.
A – ASSIMILATE	This is the most important aspect of the IDEA principle which partakes in character building. It is the way the entire knowledge and experiential learning is assimilated that results in strengthening his belief system, instilling positivity in him and establishing a healthy mind-set of being pious, progressive, compassionate, respectful and contributive to the nation’s growth and preservation of its identity and culture.

 To deliver the best the teacher needs to be properly and adequately trained and well informed. It therefore becomes a must for ALL HISTORY TEACHERS to

1.      Learn and MASTER THE ART OF STORY TELLING – It is stories and the way it is told creates an impact on the young students mind. The teachers can be trained in story telling by organizations like KATHALAYA who are a group of experts that can help teachers build this most important skill.

2.       SPEAK IN POSTIVE ONLY – History always gives a dichotomy state – winner/ loser; ruler/ruled; master/ slaves; suppressor/ oppressed; believer/ atheist; creator/ destroyer or invader etc… hence the way the teacher communicates can lead into negative aspects or negativity being learnt by the student rather than having and living with positivity, this is because any mind has a tendency to look at either positive or negative and it becomes the duty of the teacher to only do positive reinforcements. This too is a skill that deals with the attitude of educators which can be imparted by organizations like EFIL which specialise in this aspect.

3.       RESEARCH AND ASCERTAIN BEFORE REVEALING or informing or educating the students.  It is essential to get the facts right before putting any content or information across to the learners.

 Respected sir, there is a lot of ideation on the inclusion, contentization, delivery methodology and ways to enable learning in the students has been looked into by our group named Mera Bharat Mahaan. All the members of the group are of the opinion that Character building can happen only through history and therefore this subject needs to be carefully well thought-out and taught such that our future generations exhibit a higher level of patriotism and love for our country – its art, its culture/ traditions, its past and the present such that they tread on the pathways of truth always.

 Therefore we have herein placed our suggestions and recommendations that we urge you to peruse through and take into consideration the vision that we have envisaged with. We sincerely hope that this document will meet the requirement of harnessing in the new era of youngsters who will further leave a mark in the future thus becoming legends for their future generations. We are working on other areas too to share the ground realities which can impact the lives of the masses such that these too can be looked into by the government to make Bharat the Vishwa Guru and Vishwa Sarathy.

Jai Maa Bharati.