History needs to be re-written to inspire youths of this nation
Justice Mohammed Karim Chagla was one of Jinnah's closest associates in the 1920s, being both his private secretary and Secretary of the Muslim League. After Independence, Chagla went on to become chief justice of the Bombay high court and Union education minister, later. While he held the position, he was deeply involved in educational reforms for this country. Mere hunting for a job had become the aim of the education. He was not at all satisfied about standard of students passing out of various Universities. He was deeply concerned about unruly and riotous tendencies of students in general. He also felt that students lacked character, self-respect and discipline. Naturally, he was surprised to see the discipline of Sangh Swayamsevaks.

Once, during a meeting with Shri Golwalkar Guruji, he expressed his curiosity: “The very same students come to Sangh shakhas where they exhibit a totally co-operative, disciplined and controlled behavior. What do you teach them that they totally refrain themselves from any kind of abusive language or vandalism?”

Rather than answering Mr. Chagla directly, Guruji counter-questioned him: “You’ve been to Russia and have interacted with students out there. How did you find the student community out there?”

Mr. Chagla said: “Students out there are very hard-working, passionate about their work and very well-disciplined”.

Then Shri Guruji asked him another question: “You would have also met Russia’s leaders and Educationists. What do they advise their students?”

Mr. Chagla replied: “They inspire their students to excel in their respective fields, which they think to be the only way that can make Russia the world-leader, thereby also spreading socialism. Only when Russian students excel in all fields, make great strides in development, can it be called a success for socialism”.

Now, Shri Guruji elaborated: “Russian leaders have set objectives for their students. Only when a person finds mission for his life, an objective for his living, can he discipline himself. RSS has set a mission for Swayamsevaks, ‘Param vaibhavam netum etat swa-rashtram’ and that’s what drives them to be disciplined”.

Mr. Chagla replied: “Why can’t our Union government set such mission/objectives for students of the this entire country?”

Shri Guruji replied: “Why not? Government can certainly set such objectives. But the Government won’t be able to inspire students to work towards those objectives. Bharat has guided the world for 30 centuries and was leader in every field, which we call as Hindu Period of our history. Such an inspiring period is given mere 25 pages of history book, whereas 500 pages are devoted to the history of Muslim and British slavery. How can such history be inspiring to students?”

Moreover he said: “History needs to be written differently to make it appealing to students. What did Clive’s uncle do for living, which family did Cornwallis come from or how many Muslim emperors or Nawabs ruled India, such information is hardly of any consequence to us. History has to be a source of inspiration and guidance for generations to come. Can our present-day rulers write such an inspiring history which is the true history? Rather, they fear that it will be labeled history of Hindu Nation”.

Thus, Shri Guruji explained him as to how lack of knowledge of the true history of our country was the main reason for the lack of idealism and direction, resulting in rank selfishness and indiscipline. Proper teaching of history can certainly promote patriotism and raise the spirit of self-sacrifice for might and glory of this nation.

At the end of the meeting, Mr. Chagla was in agreement with Shri Guruji. He was convinced that only such history, as envisaged by Shri Guruji, could be a source of inspiration for Indian students.

Although, times and references have changed, Shri Guruji’s observations about state of history taught in schools in India, and hence quality of students, continues to be the same. In another occasion, Shri Guruji observed: “Our history books tend to revolve round Delhi. But Delhi is not India. And in many periods of Indian history, other kingdoms have been bigger than the kingdom of Delhi. Because of these lopsided history books, our people know little about the Cholas, the Cheras, the Pandyas, the Hoysalas, and the Pulakeshins. How many people have even heard of Kharvel of Utkal, one of the greatest kings of Bharat Varsha, who controlled much of South East Asia? Or of Lachit Barphukan, hero of the successful Assamese resistance of Mughal attacks?”

We think that history books need to be re-written to reflect the true history and such a history would certainly go a long way in inspiring youths of this nation to work for the development of this country.