New Delhi, February 24: RJD MP Manoj Kumar Jha emphasized the critical need to interpret history within its specific historical context, reacting sharply to recent changes in the Class 8 NCERT textbook. The revisions include references to corruption in the judiciary and alterations to the narrative on the 1947 Partition.
Speaking exclusively to IANS, Jha highlighted that Mahatma Gandhi and most leaders of that era opposed Partition. However, the violent circumstances at the time, marked by widespread bloodshed, forced tough decisions. ‘It’s easy to critique from the comfort of today,’ Jha remarked, ‘but without grasping the real pressures of that period, such comments are unfair.’ He noted that the Congress led the independence movement then.
The NCERT’s updated social science book for Class 8 states that Gandhi and Congress leaders opposed Partition but eventually accepted it as the only viable path forward.
Jha also questioned the arrest of Indian Youth Congress President Uday Bhanu Chib in connection with protests at the AI Impact Summit. ‘Not only was he arrested, but he’s being labeled the mastermind,’ Jha said. He contrasted this with unresolved cases like the Red Fort incident, Pahalgam, and Pulwama, where no masterminds were identified despite their gravity. ‘Suddenly, a minor protest yields a mastermind—this raises serious doubts,’ he added, urging the government to reconsider.
On Bihar’s ban on selling non-veg food near schools and religious sites, Jha criticized Deputy CM Vijay Sinha’s approach as echoing Giriraj Singh’s style. ‘India is a land of diversity and complexities, with varying social and cultural realities,’ he said, citing his village where a temple near a school hosts animal sacrifices. ‘One-size-fits-all politics won’t work.’
Jha called for alternative thinking in politics, warning against sensationalism for headlines.