• By Mayukh Debnath
  • Thu, 26 Oct 2023 09:32 PM (IST)
  • Source:JND

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday accused the 'Sangh Parivar' of furthering its "divisive" agenda under the garb of the proposal by a panel of the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) to replace "India" with "Bharat" in school textbooks. "Sangh Parivar" is an umbrella term used to refer to right wing political and non-political outfits in the country. 

"The recent proposal by NCERT to replace 'India' with 'Bharat' in textbooks is not acceptable. Our Constitution recognizes both names, and this change appears to be another step in the Sangh Parivar's ongoing effort to impose their divisive communalism in our educational institutions and curriculum," the CM wrote in a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).

It added, "I urge all citizens to unite and safeguard the essence of 'India', a nation founded on the principles of unity in diversity. Let's celebrate our diverse heritage and embrace our pluralistic identity with pride."

Earlier in the day, Kerala's Education Minister V Sivankutty warned that any attempt by the NCERT to implement its proposed move to replace "India" with "Bharat" in textbooks will face heavy opposition from the state government.

(Kerala Education Minister V Sivankutty. Pic Credits: ANI)

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"Kerala...rejects the move to twist historical facts. Earlier when NCERT removed certain portions Kerala had included them in the syllabus as additional textbooks," the CPI(M) minister had stated.

On Wednesday, the head of the NCERT panel that recommended the change said, "Bharat is an age-old name. The use of the name Bharat finds its mention in ancient texts such as Vishnu Purana, which is 7,000 years old."

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"The term India started being used commonly only after the establishment of the East India Company and the battle of Plassey in 1757. Therefore, the committee unanimously recommended that the name Bharat should be used in textbooks for students across classes," added Issac, a history teacher at CMS College in Kottayam who has close ties to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).