NCERT
NEW DELHI: NCERT’s newly released Partition Horrors Remembrance Day modules have triggered a political storm by explicitly naming Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Congress and then Viceroy Lord Mountbatten as “culprits” behind India’s division in 1947.The supplementary modules – separate versions for classes VI-VIII and IX-XII – are not part of regular textbooks but designed for discussions, debates and projects. They open with PM Narendra Modi’s 2021 message declaring Aug 14 as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day: “Partition’s pains can never be forgotten. Millions of our sisters and brothers were displaced and many lost their lives due to mindless hate and violence.”In a section titled “Who Was Responsible for Partition?”, the secondary-stage module states: “Historically, three actors were responsible for Partition: 1. Jinnah, who demanded it. 2. The Congress, which accepted it. 3. Mountbatten, who formalised and implemented it.” The text criticises Mountbatten for advancing the transfer of power from June 1948 to Aug 1947. “Due to it many essential arrangements that should have preceded Partition were never completed. The Partition became disorderly and chaotic.” The framing has drawn sharp criticism, with Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera rejecting the NCERT’s narrative. “Burn this document as it doesn’t tell the truth. Partition happened due to the nexus between Hindu Mahasabha and Muslim League,” Khera said at a press briefing.
