The lines which refer to a plea for a separate Sikh nation referring to the creation of Khalistan have been dropped by the National Council of Educational Research and Training from the political science textbook of Class 12, officials from the NCERT said on May 30
The decision was taken after receiving a representation from stakeholders, particularly after a letter from Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee was received by the Ministry of Education. The letter referred to withdrawing allegedly objectionable content against the Sikh community by misrepresenting Sri Anandpur Sahib Resolution. The resolution was passed in 1973 at Anandpur Sahib in Punjab by a section of Akalis (a faction involved in bringing reform in gurdwaras) who had begun to demand political autonomy for the region, by redefining the Centre-State relationship.
In this regard, a committee of experts was constituted by the NCERT to examine the issue. After examining the issue it recommended that two lines be dropped from seventh chapter — Regional Aspirations — of the rationalised Class 12 political science textbook.
In the NCERT textbook, Sri Anandpur Sahib Resolution, the line — ‘but it could also be interpreted as a plea for a separate Sikh nation,’ has been dropped. The line preceding this — ‘The resolution was a plea for strengthening federalism,’ has been retained.
In the next paragraph, while the line — ‘A section of religious leaders raised the question of autonomous Sikh identity ‘‘ has been retained,’the next line has been dropped, which reads — ‘The more extreme elements started advocating secession from India and creation of Khalistan.’’
While the print versions of the rationalised books are already out and may not reflect the change, the digital soft copy of the Class 12 textbook has been uploaded on the NCERT website with appropriate changes, said Sanjay Kumar, Secretary (School Education), Ministry of Education.
