We have made a study of the situation at different times in states ruled by BJP. In this edition we give a report on Uttar Pradesh.

Uttar Pradesh

Just after coming to power BJP tried to Hinduising text book, particularly the history text book at the primary level.

In 1992 the then BJP Government of UP tried to revise the entire history text book. "Babri Maszid," said the new history text book for high school student, is a disputed shrine but the Hindus believe it to be a temple (birth place of lord Rama)". The text stated that the mosque was constructed by one of the Babar Officials, Mir Baqi, on this were the temple existed. This is one of the many charges brought by the BJP government in the history syllabus in UP History was not only being re-written to reinforce the Hindutva ideology, but the subversion of facts was also being backed by those in Power. The Babri Masjid’ was but one instance of the RSS-BJP’s ideological propaganda infiltrating history textbook. A special section dealt with the life and styles of Dr. K.R. Hedgewar, the founder of the RSS, and outlines his links with Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and Madan Mohan Malvya. Likewise Chanakya, the propounder of the concept of Sampurna Bharat too gets good coverage, as does Shivaji.

But it is the indigenistion of the Aryans, which conforms to the RSS "interpretation" of ancient Indian history syllabus. The RSS school of thought believes in the nation that Aryan culture was the nucleus of civilisation and the Aryans were an indigeneous race. However, research based on literary and archeological evidence does not support such a thesis.

An entire chapter on the Aryans has been inserted in the new history text-book. The 12-page chapter describes in detail the origin of the Aryans, their political institutions, social and economic life and their religion and philosophy.

The RSS-BJP obsession with India being the home of the Aryans and the glorification of Rana Pratap and Shivaji have been even earlier come in for criticism from eminent historians.

For instance, it was the attempt to prove that India was the original home of the Aryans that led Dr. Romila Thapar to remark that it was "essentially an attempt to ponder to a false sense of national pride" in her Communalism and the writing of Indian history. Stating that the Aryans problem is "perhaps the most vened problem in ancient Indian history", Dr. Thapar says, that it is extremely difficult to insist on the purity of Aryan culture.

Another leading historian, Dr. Bipan Chandra, dwelling were they national heroes and their struggle against the Mughals a national struggle? Because they were fighting against "foreigners"? Dr. Chandra is of the opinion that the tag of "national" leaders given to Rana Pratap and Shivaji – no doubt important men in their own historical content – gave the impression that a Hindu nation existed in medieval India and it was in perpetual conflict with the foreign Muslims (Mughals)".

Ironically, Rana Pratap’s heroic deeds are the subject of a poem reintroduced in the high school Hindi syllabus in 1991. The poem, Haldighati, written by Shyam Narain Pandey was banned in 1975 by the Congress (I) Government as it was found to incite communal feeling because of its strong Hindu overtones.

The poem describes the famous battle of Haldighati between ana Pratap and the Mughal forces led by man Singh, Akbar’s general. The poem gives an inpassionate account of how Rana Pratap heads towards Haldighati, looks the Mughal forces in ferocious combat and routs Man Singh.