‘Complete picture must be presented’: Opposition questions NCERT’s Emergency chapter

New Delhi: The inclusion of a section on the Emergency in the Class 9 NCERT textbook has triggered a political debate, with Opposition leaders on Thursday stating that while there is no objection to teaching the subject, the complete historical context should be presented.

The ruling party, meanwhile, welcomed the move, saying future generations must learn about what it described as a dark chapter in India’s democratic history.

Senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid said the government has the authority to decide the contents of NCERT textbooks, but stressed that historical events should be presented in their entirety.

“Yes, they can do that. Today, they have the authority and the power to include chapters and questions in NCERT textbooks. The issue is not whether the topic is included. The real question is how it is presented and what commentary accompanies it. No one can deny the historical fact that the Emergency took place. That reality has to be accepted,” Khurshid told IANS.

He further questioned whether the reasons behind the Emergency and its aftermath were being adequately explained.

“Are its consequences being discussed? Is there any mention that elections were held after the Emergency, that Congress lost those elections, and that later Congress returned to power with a two-thirds majority? If historical facts are being taught, then the complete picture should be presented. The entire reality should be included and not selectively highlighted or ‘cherry-picked’,” he added.

NCP-SP national spokesperson Anish Gawande also supported the teaching of the Emergency, but questioned the removal of other topics from the curriculum.

“The Emergency should definitely be taught in NCERT textbooks, but why are other subjects being removed? Chapters about people who sacrificed their lives for the country should also continue to be taught,” he said.

Congress MLA Vijay Wadettiwar alleged that there was an attempt to distort history and present facts in a misleading manner. According to him, the Emergency was officially declared at the time and was not implemented through any hidden agenda.

“What is happening today, according to us, is an undeclared Emergency. People cannot freely speak against the government or express dissent. This is an attempt by the BJP government to mislead the younger generation,” Wadettiwar said.

He added that children today have access to artificial intelligence and multiple sources of information and are capable of verifying facts independently.

RJD MP Sudhakar Singh took a pragmatic view of the issue, saying governments often shape educational content according to their perspectives.

“The government in power will teach history according to its own perspective; there is nothing unusual in that. When we come to power, we will also make changes. That is how it works,” he said.

On the other hand, leaders from the ruling alliance defended the NCERT decision.

Shiv Sena spokesperson Shaina N.C. described the Emergency as a dark phase in Indian history and said it was important for young people to understand how democratic rights were affected during that period.

“Emergency was a dark phase in the history of India. The way freedom of expression, fundamental rights, press censorship, sending people to jail, and sterilisation drives… it is very important to know about this youth generation. Because, along with fundamental rights, fundamental duties were also sabotaged. And our youth generation may not even know about the JP movement. So today, when we talk about 1975-77, the youth generation should know how many people sacrificed, gave up and struggled for India to be a developed democracy,” she said.

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan welcomed the inclusion of the chapter, saying the NCERT had taken the correct decision.

“That is the right thing to do. NCERT has done the right thing. Future generations of the country should know, read and understand the dark chapter of the Emergency so that such a situation does not arise again,” he said.

BJP Jammu President Sat Paul Sharma echoed similar sentiments, saying the younger generation should understand both India’s progress after Independence and the challenges it faced.

“It was a dark stain on the country’s democracy. The way the right to free speech was curtailed was deeply troubling. The film industry and those working in it faced severe repression. Movies were banned and censored. The film ‘Aandhi’ was banned simply because the actress bore a resemblance to a prominent national leader, and it was perceived that the story was based on her. The songs of Kishore Kumar were banned merely because he refused to perform at certain government-sponsored events.”

IANS