GUWAHATI: The Assam Higher Secondary Education Council (AHSEC) said it will make necessary changes in the Class XII syllabus if the need arises to remove chapters on the Mughal Empire. A decision in this regard is yet to be taken.
The textbooks, incorporating chapters on Mughals, have already been distributed among the students of Class XII, as the academic session started from April 1 in the state.
“The new textbooks that have lessons on the Mughal Empire are in the hands of the students already. Now, how we finalise the syllabus to be studied for exams will matter,” AHSEC secretary Pulak Patgiri told TOI here on Wednesday. “If NCERT textbook removes the Mughals, we may not continue teaching the same chapters on them,” Patgiri added.
Sources in AHSEC said from the exam syllabus Mughals may be left out later, even if books have been distributed. AHSEC-affiliated schools follow the NCERT textbook on history, but have local flavour of Assam history. For 14 subjects, NCERT books are followed.
Removing Mughals totally is, however, going to be a difficult choice for the council. In history, taught in AHSEC-affiliated schools, besides following the NCERT textbooks, lessons on Assam history are also incorporated in the same book which has information on Mughals. The Assam part of the history textbook has lessons from the time of Mir Jumla (1661-62) — the Nawab of Bengal — who was instructed by Aurangzeb to attack Assam.
Insiders in AHSEC said for the state board, difficulty may also arise in removing Mughals totally from Assam history, since the glory of Assam’s iconic hero, Lachit Borphukan, and Ahom rule has inseparable links with the Mughal Empire.
Ahom general Lachit thwarted the Mughals from permanently occupying Assam. He was the famous general of the Royal Army of the Ahom kingdom who defeated the Mughals in the 1671 battle of Saraighat and halted the expanding ambitions of Aurangzeb.
Meanwhile, state BJP leaders have supported deleting chapters on Mughals. “We cannot read or write about attackers with pride. The opposition, especially the Congress, can do it. Those parties seeking votes of the descendants of Mughals will obviously support teaching ‘glory’ of Mughals,” said state information minister and senior BJP leader Pijush Hazarika.
Leader of opposition Debabrata Saikia said BJP’s attempt has been to rewrite history. “BJP leaders and their idols don’t have any role in the freedom struggle. They want to hide the history to deceive the people of India. Students will read complete history, even if boards remove Mughals,” he said.
He said the entire Mughal era was not a dark one in Indian history. “Thousands of people go to see the monuments built by the Mughals. It has given a boost to tourism over the years,” Saikia said.
The textbooks, incorporating chapters on Mughals, have already been distributed among the students of Class XII, as the academic session started from April 1 in the state.
“The new textbooks that have lessons on the Mughal Empire are in the hands of the students already. Now, how we finalise the syllabus to be studied for exams will matter,” AHSEC secretary Pulak Patgiri told TOI here on Wednesday. “If NCERT textbook removes the Mughals, we may not continue teaching the same chapters on them,” Patgiri added.
Sources in AHSEC said from the exam syllabus Mughals may be left out later, even if books have been distributed. AHSEC-affiliated schools follow the NCERT textbook on history, but have local flavour of Assam history. For 14 subjects, NCERT books are followed.
Removing Mughals totally is, however, going to be a difficult choice for the council. In history, taught in AHSEC-affiliated schools, besides following the NCERT textbooks, lessons on Assam history are also incorporated in the same book which has information on Mughals. The Assam part of the history textbook has lessons from the time of Mir Jumla (1661-62) — the Nawab of Bengal — who was instructed by Aurangzeb to attack Assam.
Insiders in AHSEC said for the state board, difficulty may also arise in removing Mughals totally from Assam history, since the glory of Assam’s iconic hero, Lachit Borphukan, and Ahom rule has inseparable links with the Mughal Empire.
Ahom general Lachit thwarted the Mughals from permanently occupying Assam. He was the famous general of the Royal Army of the Ahom kingdom who defeated the Mughals in the 1671 battle of Saraighat and halted the expanding ambitions of Aurangzeb.
Meanwhile, state BJP leaders have supported deleting chapters on Mughals. “We cannot read or write about attackers with pride. The opposition, especially the Congress, can do it. Those parties seeking votes of the descendants of Mughals will obviously support teaching ‘glory’ of Mughals,” said state information minister and senior BJP leader Pijush Hazarika.
Leader of opposition Debabrata Saikia said BJP’s attempt has been to rewrite history. “BJP leaders and their idols don’t have any role in the freedom struggle. They want to hide the history to deceive the people of India. Students will read complete history, even if boards remove Mughals,” he said.
He said the entire Mughal era was not a dark one in Indian history. “Thousands of people go to see the monuments built by the Mughals. It has given a boost to tourism over the years,” Saikia said.
