"Bizarre decision": West Bengal education minister criticises NCERT recommendation on replacing 'India' with Bharat'
Oct 25, 2023
Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], October 25 : Amid uproar by Opposition over NCERT recommendation of replacing 'India' with 'Bharat', West Bengal Education Minister Bratya Basu termed the decision as "ridiculous" and "bizarre" and called it a political decision.
Speaking to ANI on the NCERT panel recommendation of replacing 'India' with 'Bharat' in school textbooks, West Bengal Education Minister Bratya Basu said, "It is a ridiculous decision because they (Centre) are frightened about the word India... So I think it's a bizarre decision. It's not the right decision and politically they are afraid of India and Mamata Banerjee".
Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar also expressed strong disappointment over the Centre's idea of introducing Bharat in school textbooks.
"Why are we saying the Reserve Bank of India, Indian Administrative Service and Indian Foreign Service? In our passports, we have the Republic of India... I think something wrong has happened to this government... Why are they confusing the minds of Indians?... Whatever stand they have taken is completely anti-people, anti-India, and anti-Bharat," said DK Shivakumar, adding "I am telling you they (NCERT) have been forced by the NDA government. This is completely wrong... You can't change the history of India... Karnataka will continue with whatever there was earlier."
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi called the decision a 'misfortune for the country'. "This is a misfortune of country that, India Vs Bharat is being made...'India that is Bharat' is written in our constitution by Dr BR Ambedkar...The coming generation won't forgive you for making this differentiation. India is also Bharat and Hindustan for us...if BJP had a sense of confidence and security with regard to people, today India's name wouldn't have been Bharat...They (BJP) keep criticising the INDIA alliance. If you (BJP) have to criticise, criticise issues that we raise and our statements but don't do such disgusting politics over country's name", she said in a statement.
A high-level National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) panel, headed by historian CI Issac, had earlier recommended replacing 'India' with 'Bharat' in school textbooks. The recommendations were made by the seven-member Committee for Social Sciences which is among the committees constituted by the National Council of Educational Research and Training to prepare position papers on various subjects.
