'Huge dishonour': Patnaik expresses anguish over 'omission' of Paika rebellion from NCERT book
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
a day ago
- First Post
Distortions, doublespeak and jizya: Whitewashing history, weaponising academia
Real academic integrity lies not in defending invaders or denying civilisational trauma, but in projecting history as it is—unflinchingly, honestly, and fairly read more In the contemporary academic climate of Bharat, there has been a fast—and easy—way to success, whether on university panels, prime-time news shows, or within elite publishing circles. And it is not through rigorous research or balanced inquiry, but through ideological conformity to a post-colonial, Left-'liberal' consensus. This consensus views Bharat's civilisational heritage with suspicion, dismisses native resistance to invaders, and negationises historical atrocities—especially those committed in the name of Islam. Ruchika Sharma, a Delhi-based self-proclaimed historian and YouTuber, has recently emerged as the most visible face opposing the NCERT's 'revision' of history textbooks. Much like Audrey Truschke on the global stage—who tried to rehabilitate Aurangzeb as a misunderstood ruler—Sharma has gained sudden national prominence by dismissing historical Islamic violence, trivialising religiously motivated atrocities like jizya, and drawing false moral equivalences between native Hindu dynasties and foreign Islamic invaders. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Manufacturing Outrage The trigger for Sharma's recent media storm was her vocal opposition to the NCERT's revisions, particularly its explanation of jizya—a tax historically imposed on non-Muslims under Islamic rule. Sharma seemed outraged by the idea that jizya was used to pressure Hindus into conversion, branding the claim a 'baseless myth'. She even announced plans to file a Right to Information (RTI) request to challenge the educational content. Her stance is remarkable—not because it is new and ground-breaking, but because it's fictitious and fabricated. The Quran itself, in Surah At-Tawbah (9:29), mandates: 'Fight those who do not believe in Allah… until they pay the jizya with willing submission and feel themselves subdued.' This verse is not obscure; it is widely cited by classical Islamic jurists—including Imam Malik, Abu Hanifa, and Al-Shafi'i—as the foundational directive for the imposition of jizya. Importantly, the condition that the payer must feel 'subdued' was not metaphorical. In theology, jizya only lapses on death or on acceptance of Islam. Seized by the Collar Medieval Muslim scholars such as Shaikh Ahmad Sirhindi, Mulla Ahmad, and Shah Waliullah left little room for ambiguity. Sirhindi wrote: 'The real purpose of levying the jizya is to humiliate the non-Muslims… to such an extent that they may not be able to dress well or live in grandeur… and thus remain terrified and trembling.' Western scholars echoed the same. NP Aghnides, an authority on Islamic finance, wrote in Muhammadan Theories of Finance: '…the main object in levying the (jizya) tax is the subjection of the infidels to humiliation… the Zimmi is seized by the collar and vigorously shaken and pulled about in order to show him his degradation.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Mirat-i-Ahmadi, a history of Gujarat written by Ali Mohammed Khan, an imperial dewan at Ahmedabad, clearly explains how jizya should be collected: 'The collector of jizya should collect it from a zimmi in this manner: A zimmi should himself come to pay it. He should come on foot. The collector should sit while the zimmi should stand. The collector should place his hand over the hand of the zimmi saying, 'I take jizya, oh! Zimmi.' It should not be accepted when sent indirectly through his deputy…' Rulers like Firoz Shah Tughlaq and Aurangzeb openly used jizya to coerce conversions. In Fatuhat-i-Firoz Shahi, for instance, Tughlaq recounts: 'I encouraged my infidel subjects to embrace the religion of the Prophet… Every day Hindus presented themselves and were exonerated from the jizya upon converting.' Similarly, European traveller Niccolao Manucci observed of Aurangzeb: 'Many Hindus who were unable to pay jizya turned Muhammadan to obtain relief from the insults of the collectors… Aurangzeb rejoices.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Still, Dr Sharma sees nothing religious or discriminatory about jizya. Inventing False Equivalences The Leftist defence of jizya isn't an aberration. It's part of a larger pattern—a tendency to defend Islamist violence and vandalism, or, when indefensible, to dilute it through strained comparisons with Hindu rulers. This explains why some Leftist historians have made a career out of inventing the idea of an intolerant Hindu king—one who would destroy not only rival temples but also Buddhist viharas—based on dubious records and selective interpretation. Yes, Hindu kings went to war, and yes, violence was committed. But such acts were primarily political, directed against rival powers—not against entire religious communities as a matter of religious doctrine. By contrast, Islamic invaders and rulers—from Muhammad bin Qasim onwards—targeted Hindu religious institutions systematically and ideologically. Temple destruction was not a collateral consequence of war; it was often its central goal, sanctioned by theology and justified by the Islamic concept of kufr. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Sharma's narrative fits neatly into the dominant woke-Leftist framework that dominates humanities and social sciences departments across Bharat and the West, including in the capitalist United States. This worldview rests on four pillars: Downplaying Islamic imperialism; exaggerating caste-based, gender-based oppression within Hinduism; framing Bharat's civilisational resurgence as majoritarianism; and, treating any historical correction as 'saffronisation'. In this paradigm, those who defend Akbar, dismiss Hindu grievances, or mock textbook revisions are instantly celebrated as 'moderate voices of reason'. Meanwhile, those who point to inconvenient truths—like the religious basis of jizya or the genocide at Chittorgarh—are labelled 'communal', 'majoritarian', or 'unacademic'. Conclusion History is not mythology. It is not a tool to validate fashionable Leftist-wokeist ideologies, serve electoral agendas, or push secular façades. Nor should it be weaponised to shame an entire civilisation into silence. Ruchika Sharma has every right to file RTIs. But it is astonishing that she remains unaware of the overwhelming evidence already available—in the Quran, in Fatawa-i-Alamgiri, in the writings of Sirhindi, and in the policies of Aurangzeb and Firoz Tughlaq. Perhaps she is too blinded by ideology to see the truth. (This is not surprising given her adulation for Wendy Doniger and her book, The Hindu—a book so perversely biased that if a Hindu had written The Muslim with a similar tone, it would be instantly branded Islamophobic.) Or, perhaps she simply doesn't know the truth—which then raises serious questions about her credentials as a 'historian'. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Whatever the case, the time has come to free history from the suffocating hangover of the Leftist-wokeist cocktail. Real academic integrity lies not in defending invaders or denying civilisational trauma, but in projecting history as it is—unflinchingly, honestly, and fairly. Only then can one build a genuinely inclusive and truthful national narrative. The writer is the author of the book, 'Eminent Distorians: Twists and Truths in Bharat's History', published early this year by BluOne Ink publications. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost's views.
The Print
a day ago
- The Print
Next chapter, India's military might. NCERT preparing module on Op Sindoor for classes 3-12
According to officials in the government, the NCERT modules will be released in two parts. While part one will be for classes 3rd to 8th, part two will be taught to classes 9th to 12th. Each module is eight to ten pages. Initiated in the early hours of 7 May, Operation Sindoor involved military strikes by India against terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The strikes were in response to the Pahalgam massacre. New Delhi: The National Council of Educational Research & Training (NCERT) is preparing special modules on Operation Sindoor for students of classes 3rd to 12th with an aim to make students aware about India's military power, sources confirmed to ThePrint. 'The aim is to make students aware of India's military power and how Pakistan was once again defeated. Through this module, students will also learn about Operation Sindoor and the strategic strength of our armed forces,' a senior official told ThePrint. NCERT is also preparing special modules as supplementary reading material for students, focusing on key national themes, ThePrint has learnt. The programme aims to 'make students aware of the country's achievements' and instill 'a sense of pride'. So far, 15 such modules have been released on themes including 'Viksit Bharat', 'Nari Shakti Vandan', 'G20', 'COVID-19', 'Bharat-mother of democracy', and 'Chandrayaan'. Along with Operation Sindoor, the NCERT is also preparing some other modules. 'The upcoming modules will be about Mission LiFE, the horrors of Partition, and India's rise as a space power—from Chandrayaan and Aditya-L1 to Subhanshu Shukla's presence on the International Space Station. The idea is to highlight the road ahead by showcasing the country's achievements,' said another government official. The NCERT has included events from recent history in textbooks. In the newly released Class 8 social science textbook, it has mentioned the 'surgical strike'—referring to India's 2016 military action across the Line of Control (LoC). The book also compares Maratha ruler Shivaji's attack on Mughal nobleman Shaista Khan to a 'modern-day surgical strike'. (Edited by Amrtansh Arora) Also Read: Centre's school education assessment flags learning gaps—Maths least favourite, govt schools lag behind
Hans India
a day ago
- Hans India
Army veterans laud NCERT's move to include Op Sindoor in school textbooks
The National Council of Educational Research and Training's (NCERT) decision to include 'Operation Sindoor' in school textbooks has sparked widespread appreciation among retired military officers, who hailed the move as a milestone in instilling patriotism and awareness about national security in the younger generation. Colonel Rajiv Khakera (Retd.), from the Army's Core of Air Defence, expressed immense pride over the inclusion. 'We all saw how the Army, through precision gunfire and missile systems, carried out a tremendous job during Operation Sindoor. It is a matter of great happiness that every child in the country will now learn about this heroic chapter. It will serve as a strong motivational factor for joining the Army,' he told IANS on Sunday. Lt. Colonel Kapil Dutt (Retd.) echoed similar sentiments, terming the NCERT's decision 'very good'. He added, 'Young students will be highly encouraged. Learning about Operation Sindoor in detail will ignite a sense of service and inspire many to take up careers in the armed forces.' Operation Sindoor, widely regarded as a decisive counter-terrorism operation, has emerged as a defining moment in India's internal security strategy. Its inclusion in school curricula, veterans believe, will ensure that the legacy of those who served with courage is preserved for future generations. General P.S. Malhotra (Retd.) welcomed the move while also appreciating Prime Minister Narendra Modi's outreach initiatives like 'Mann Ki Baat'. 'I hope 'Mann Ki Baat' continues well beyond 200 episodes. The Prime Minister is truly connected with the people. As for Operation Sindoor, its addition to NCERT books is a great decision that strengthens our national identity.' Wing Commander Praful Bakshi (Retd.) highlighted the symbolic importance of the operation. 'It is essential for school children, college students, and the public to understand the impact of Operation Sindoor. It has now become a symbol -- one that marks the beginning of the end of terrorism in India.' The move by NCERT is expected to be implemented in the upcoming academic cycle and is being seen as part of a broader push to integrate military history and national pride into India's education system.
