The Controversial Legacy of India's Emergency: A Look at NCERT Textbook Changes

Introduction to the Emergency in Education

New Delhi: It took nearly thirty years for the Emergency declared by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi—a tumultuous 21-month period characterized by censorship and mass detentions of political opponents—to be included in the NCERT political science curriculum.

Interestingly, this inclusion occurred during the Congress-led UPA government in 2007.

Despite ongoing concerns that school textbooks fail to fully capture the extent of the Emergency's impact, several sections were removed as recently as 2023 under the current BJP administration, as part of a curriculum streamlining initiative following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Krishna Kumar, the former chairman of NCERT, noted that the Emergency was first introduced in the class 12 political science textbooks in 2007, coinciding with the revision of the National Curriculum Framework (NCF).

However, he did not provide details on how this topic was integrated into the educational framework.

The 2007 textbook featured a 25-page chapter titled 'The Crisis of Democratic Order,' which explored the nature of the crisis, the rationale behind it, the various supporters and opponents, and the political landscape shaped by the Emergency.

Anita Rampal, who chaired several NCERT committees for textbook development, stated that both the Emergency and the anti-Sikh riots were included in the curriculum despite the Congress government being in power at the time, as academic freedom was respected.

"The advisors for the textbooks consulted with HRD Minister Arjun Singh to inform him of the content being included, and there was no government interference whatsoever," Rampal explained.

"At that time, NCERT and the academic community operated with complete autonomy. The inclusion of the Emergency and the anti-Sikh riots, along with critical cartoons of Indira Gandhi, would be unimaginable today," she added.

The chapter contained excerpts from Indira Gandhi's national address on All India Radio, critical illustrations by RK Laxman, details from the Shah Commission report regarding the period's excesses, and various newspaper articles documenting the Emergency's announcement and the Congress party's subsequent electoral defeat.

Some of the headlines included: 'State of Emergency Declared,' 'PM Says Security is in Peril,' 'Numerous Leaders Arrested,' and 'Rights Suspended.' Another set of articles marked the Emergency's conclusion with headlines like 'Mrs. Gandhi Defeated,' 'Congress Routed,' and 'Nightmare is Over, Says Vajpayee.'

One notable Amul cartoon depicted the Amul girl as a nurse, humorously stating, 'We have always practiced compulsory sterilization.'

A satirical illustration in the textbook portrayed a man labeled as Congress lying on the ground, while leaders opposing the Emergency, such as Jagjivan Ram, Morarji Desai, Charan Singh, and Atal Behari Vajpayee, stood with the 'common man.'

Other cartoons depicted factional disputes within the Janata Party and Indira Gandhi's confrontations with the Shah Commission.

The preface of the political science textbook previously referred to it as a 'tribute to the maturity of Indian democracy.'

Political scientist and Swaraj India President Yogendra Yadav, who was part of the drafting committee, remarked that prior to 2007, political textbooks primarily focused on India's independence, leaving students unaware of significant events that shaped late 20th-century politics.

"The inclusion of the Emergency in school textbooks was intentional, aimed at creating non-partisan educational materials that presented the sordid details of that period factually, without concern for the embarrassment it might cause the Congress government," he stated.

"It's essential to teach political science without ignoring major events that significantly influenced society and politics, regardless of their controversial nature. The textbooks relied on established facts from government sources that are indisputable," he added.

Yadav and fellow political scientist Suhas Palshikar opposed the recent revisions to NCERT textbooks in 2023, which faced criticism from opposition parties. They formally objected to the new textbooks bearing their names and distanced themselves from the changes.

This marked the first instance of the two political scientists publicly opposing NCERT. In 2012, during the UPA government, they resigned from the drafting panel following a controversy over a cartoon of B.R. Ambedkar in school materials.

In the latest rationalization effort in 2023, at least five pages from the chapter were removed.

The omitted sections addressed controversies surrounding the Emergency's imposition and the abuses of power committed by Indira Gandhi's administration.

While some cartoons were resized, content related to the Shah Commission's report, Indira Gandhi's national address, the Naxalite movement, and the custodial death of a student during that time was also eliminated.

In 2018, the then-HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar claimed that the textbooks did not adequately represent the 'full story' of the Emergency, which was crucial for students to grasp the historical context.

"We will review chapters and sections on the Emergency to ensure that this dark chapter in our democracy is adequately covered in the curriculum... Children must learn the realities of that time. The Emergency is often regarded as the second struggle for freedom," he stated.

The Emergency was declared 50 years ago on June 25, 1975, following a period of political turmoil and a court ruling that invalidated Gandhi's election.