Social studies textbooks in the Urdu language, printed by the government and used in government-run schools and institutions, fudge facts and indoctrinate students with a jaundiced worldview. The most comprehensive analyses of this phenomenon in Pakistan is historian Prof KK Azizâs âThe Murder of History,â published by Vanguard Books Pvt Ltd. Social Studies for Students used in classes four through ten comes in seven versions. The subject is compulsory study for students in all state-sponsored schools and the textbook is the only book available to these schools. This later dovetails into Pakistan Studies, where even private schools are forced to teach a couple of texts that have been written at the behest of the state and project a certain idea of Pakistan, its supposed friends and adversaries. The books, which do not name the authors, are literary equivalent of hate speech.
| Comes as a surprise, doesn't it? I know. It floored me, too... |
These books would not be out of place in any madrassah preparing the young for an early grave. âHinduâ India and Britain are depicted as enemies while Saudi Arabia and the Muslim Ummah are extolled. The Pakistan Army and its âthree decisive victoriesâ over India are mentioned liberally and are an example of how institutional attempt has been made to rewrite history.
| Since they were drubbed all three times... |
Words like âdarkâ, âuglyâ and âshortâ are used to describe Hindus while Muslims are presented in glowing terms. Atrocities committed by Muslim invaders are glossed over while those by Hindu and Sikh invaders magnified. Invasions led by Muslims are justified as having been necessary for the expansion of Islam whereas Hindu-led invasions are depicted bleakly. Hindus are also reported as having colluded with the English to suppress the Muslims. âMuslims have always helped the Hindus who have only returned the favour by massacring innocent Muslims,â the textbook for Class IV makes plain on Page 85. âIndia is an enemy. Its designs are nefarious. We should receive military training so that we could fight our enemy,â it suggests on Page 112.
| "Yes! We must plot, we must be devious, we must be ruthless to counter their nefarious plots!" |
The propagation of the caste-system and of medieval practices such as satti (burning a widow on the husbandâs pyre) are used to illustrate the inferiority of Hindu culture. India is condemned for âsilentlyâ attacking Pakistan on September 6, 1965. There is no mention of Operation Gibraltar under which Pakistan Army personnel in plainclothes went into Kashmir to support âlocalsâ against India. Accounts of all Indo-Pakistan wars are similarly skewed with the upshot always in Pakistanâs favour. Fifth grade students, for example, are taught that the 1971 war was a Hindu conspiracy. In September 1981, Pakistan offered India a no-war pact but India evaded the issue and started raising unnecessary objections over Pakistanâs foreign policy, the books say. âIndo-Pak relations improved in 1990,â near the time of a near nuclear standoff incidentally, âbut suspicions remained as India was not sincere in fairly settling the Kashmir issue.â
| That means they didn't cave, of course... |
Muslim countries are thanked for their support to Pakistan over Kashmir and General Pervez Musharraf is lionised for broaching the subject at the Agra Summit last year. âPresident of Pakistan presented the Kashmir case courageously and splendidly which was appreciated by the entire world but the summit failed.â One remarkable thing about these textbooks is the addition every ruler does to them. Sometimes, previous rulers are either criticised or just ignored. For instance, during General Zia-ul Haqâs period, all references to prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto were removed. Citing the signing of the 1973 constitution, for instance, the textbook dealt with the issue in one small paragraph without a single reference to Bhutto. EXCERPTS FROM CURRICULUM DOCUMENT FOR CLASSES K-V
National Bureau of Curriculum and Textbooks Federal Ministry of Education, 1995 Government of Pakistan.
At the completion of Class-V, the child should be able to:
· "Acknowledge and identify forces that may be working against Pakistan."
· "Demonstrate by actions a belief in the fear of Allah."
· "Make speeches on Jehad and Shahadat"
· "Understand Hindu-Muslim differences and the resultant need for Pakistan."
· "Indiaâs evil designs against Pakistan."
· "Be safe from rumour mongers who spread false news"
· "Visit police stations"
· "Collect pictures of policemen, soldiers, and National Guards"
· "Demonstrate respect for the leaders of Pakistan" |