Gujarat model of using epics as facts in education

The BJP government enforces the values of Indian epics as a source of 'facts' for subjects such as History, Geography and even Science in the state of Gujarat. Despite the roaring anger against saffronisation of education, the BJP dominated Gujarat's new list of subscribed books for primary and secondary education has established that it will stick to its own decisions. The circular regarding the new "nationalist" books was circulated amongst 42,000 schools across the state. 

Amongst the books listed for compulsory reading for the students appears the book Tejomay Bharat. It criticises America for taking credit for stem cell research and promotes Dr Balkrishna Ganpat Matapurka, who was inspired by the Mahabharata legend of Gandhari and the birth of hundred Kauravas.  

Indian Express has found the expert: “…America wants to take the credit for invention of stem cell research, but the truth is that India’s Dr Balkrishna Ganpat Matapurkar has already got a patent for regenerating body parts…. You would be surprised to know that this research is not new and that Dr Matapurkar was inspired by the Mahabharata. Kunti had a bright son like the sun itself. When Gandhari, who had not been able to conceive for two years, learnt of this, she underwent an abortion. From her womb a huge mass of flesh came out. (Rishi) Dwaipayan Vyas was called. He observed this hard mass of flesh and then he preserved it in a cold tank with specific medicines. He then divided the mass of flesh into 100 parts and kept them separately in 100 tanks full of ghee for two years. After two years, 100 Kauravas were born of it. On reading this, he (Matapurkar) realised that stem cell was not his invention. This was found in India thousands of years ago.” — Page 92-93, Tejomay Bharat

This is simply one of the many legends used to explain scientific discovery. The Gujarat government is taking a whole new direction in using myths as sources of knowledge and facts for scientific discovery. 

Similarly the invention of the television and motor car is also traced back and the inspiration too seems to stem from the Mahabharata. The Hindu texts seem to be the answer to all questions in the educated world of Gujarat. 

“We know that television was invented by a priest from Scotland called John Logie Baird in 1926. But we want to take you to an even older Doordarshan… Indian rishis using their yog vidya would attain divya drishti. There is no doubt that the invention of television goes back to this… In Mahabharata, Sanjaya sitting inside a palace in Hastinapur and using his divya shakti would give a live telecast of the battle of Mahabharata… to the blind Dhritarashtra”. — Page 64

“What we know today as the motorcar existed during the Vedic period. It was called anashva rath. Usually a rath (chariot) is pulled by horses but an anashva rath means the one that runs without horses or yantra-rath, what is today a motorcar. The Rig Veda refers to this…” — Page 60

The above two excerpts are inputs from Indian Express. 

Tejomay Bharat is just one of the eight other books written by Dina Nath Batra who belongs to the educational wing of the saffron party RSS. He is also famous for his strong opinions about anti-western education. He is the face behind the banning of American author Wendy Doniger’s book. 

When Y Sudershan Rao was appointed as the chairperson of the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) whose known to be a a votary of 'sanatan' Hindu religion, it was met with great criticism by history teachers and scholars at the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) and many other institutions. Prominent historians like Romila Thapar was critical of the decision taken by the new government at centre. The question is whether the new subscribed books Circular has reached them yet. 

The BJP have a long history of over 20 years, where they have attempted on several occasions to modify the syllabus of Indian history.  With BJP winning a clear and absolute majority in Gujarat in the Lok Sabha elections 2014, it seems like there will be no opposition for the new subscribed books. 

The echo of former chief minister Narendra Modi (now Prime Minister) is seen as each of these books carries a customised message from him.