Mumbai: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Thursday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of making an attempt to `erase the title of India’s first Education Minister and Bharat Ratna, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, from historical past as a result of he was a Muslim. NCP nationwide spokesperson Clyde Crasto stated that the BJP-led authorities on the Centre is utilizing the NCERT (National Council of Educational Research and Training) to wipe out Maulana Azad`s id and his superb contributions to India`s training system.
Citing situations, he stated a para within the first chapter of the outdated Class XI NCERT political science textbook stated: “The Constituent Assembly had eight major Committees on different subjects. Usually, Jawaharlal Nehru, Rajendra Prasad, Sardar Patel, Maulana Azad, or Ambedkar chaired these Committees.” “However, in the new version of the same textbook by NCERT, the name of Maulana Azad has been omitted and the same sentence now reads: `Usually, Jawaharlal Nehru, Rajendra Prasad, Sardar Patel or B.R. Ambedkar chaired these committees. This is truly unfortunate,” Crasto stated.
Suspecting a scientific conspiracy to delete Maulana Azad from historical past, the NCP chief identified how final 12 months the Minority Affairs Ministry had abruptly discontinued the `Maulana Azad Fellowship`, which was began in 2009 (by the previous UPA authorities) to supply monetary assist to college students from six notified minorities for a interval of 5 years.
The NCERT comes underneath the Government of India which is at present led by the BJP, and subsequently the query that involves the thoughts is whether or not they’re searching for to obliterate the title of India`s first Education Minister due to his faith, Crasto stated.
“There appears no other reason why they would do this to the first Education Minister of Independent India and one of our leading freedom fighters. The NCERT must clarify and answer to the citizens why Maulana Azad`s name is missing in the new version of the textbook, and how it will rectify this error,” Crasto stated.
Maulana Azad, a distinguished Islamic scholar, writer, academician and a distinguished freedom fighter, was elected because the youngest President of Indian National Congress aged 35, and later led the historic Khilafat Movement.
After Independence, Maulana Azad served as India`s first Education Minister for over 10 years, throughout which he laid the foundations for the nation`s huge tutorial community. Acknowledging his contributions, his birthday – November 11 – is well known as National Education Day.
