New NCERT modules on partition blame Congress, say it 'accepted plans’; party reacts

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The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has released two special modules on the Partition of India, attributing responsibility to Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the Congress leadership, and Lord Mountbatten for the country’s division.

Published this August 14 to coincide with Partition Horrors Remembrance Day, the modules prepared for both middle and secondary school students say that “The Partition of India and the creation of Pakistan were by no means inevitable.” They add that three actors shaped the outcome: “Jinnah, who demanded it; the Congress, which accepted it; and Mountbatten, who formalised and implemented it," ANI reported.

The secondary stage module remarks, “None of the Indian leaders had experience in running national or even provincial administration, the army, police, etc. Hence, they had no idea of the massive problems that would naturally arise... Otherwise, such haste would not have been made.”

It describes Partition as an “unprecedented human tragedy, with no parallel in world history,” citing the displacement of nearly 1.5 crore people, mass killings, large-scale sexual violence, and refugee trains that arrived “filled only with corpses, having been slaughtered en route.”

The module records that “Some horrors began even before Partition was finalised... The horrific events in Noakhali and Calcutta (1946), and Rawalpindi, Thoha, and Beval (March 1947) stand as chilling examples.” It notes that the Muslim League’s Direct Action Day in 1946 was a turning point, alongside Jinnah’s warning: “Either a divided India or a destroyed India.”

On the continuing impact of Partition, it says: “Pakistan has waged three wars to annexe Kashmir and, after losing them, adopted a policy of exporting jihadist terrorism... All this is a consequence of Partition.”

The text also cites Jinnah’s own words: “I never thought it would happen. I had never expected to see Pakistan in my lifetime.”

The middle stage module uses simpler narration but repeats the same conclusion: “There were three elements responsible for the Partition of India: Jinnah, who demanded it; second, the Congress, which accepted it; and third, Mountbatten, who implemented it.”

It also highlights Mountbatten’s decision to bring forward the transfer of power: “a great act of carelessness” that left millions “unaware which country they belonged to even after Independence Day.”

Concluding on a cautionary note, the modules say: “Shortsightedness in rulers can become a national catastrophe. Giving concessions to violence to gain peace results in whetting the appetite of violence-prone groups.”

The modules say recalling the "horrors of Partition" is crucial only if India draws lessons, rejecting communal politics and ensuring leadership that prioritises national welfare over personal or party interests.

Reacting to the modules, Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit challenged the BJP for a discussion on Partition. “…I challenge NCERT for a discussion on Partition. Today, they (BJP) have NCERT under their control; they don’t know anything about Partition,” he told news agency ANI.

With inputs from ANI