Let146;s debate civics textbooks

Civics has neither warranted serious academic debate nor a public inquiry into its content. But why should civics matter? Given that it carries the potential of encouraging children to look at social and political structures around them in critical ways, the neglect of civics has meant that the state has used it as a form of political catechism.

Civics textbooks project our present as one in which the state exists as a given and the task of the future citizen is to facilitate its smooth functioning. This is true not only of books that were introduced during Joshi8217;s tenure but also of those that were in circulation for the last two decades. As the introductory section of the new social science textbook 8216;India and the World8217; reiterates, 8220;It is essential for us to know the organisation and the functions of the government of our country, then only we can serve our country best by active and judicious participation in the government at various levels8221;.

The focus is invariably on detailing the architectural aspect of the institution not on what goes on within that space. Panchayat, parliament, courts, district administration 8212; everything appears fully formed with no history, struggle or debate surrounding it. For example, in the chapter on the Panchayati Raj structure, the 8216;new8217; fact of reservations for SCs/STs and women is mentioned but no attempt is made to clarify why this provision had to be made or whether it has had any impact.

Agreement, or compliance, is sought through the notion of participation. Participation, in some contexts, is synonymous with discipline. While introducing forms of social organisation to sixth standard children, the justification for enforcing 8220;discipline8221; in school is: 8220;It is necessary for each student to reach school in time or he or she is punished. Even in the society some people sometimes break the rules and to punish them an organisation is needed. Your school is also an organisation.8217;8217; 8216;Our Civic Life8217;; 1989: reprint 1999.

Another ground for participation is the rather limiting instrumentalist logic of nation building. The removal of inequality and caste has little to do with justice or human dignity. 8216;Our Civic Life8217; puts forth the need for land redistribution because, 8220;the landless workers do not have the same interest in working on other people8217;s land as they would have if they had their own land. This feeling adversely affects the quality and the quantity of produce8221;. The caste system is seen as a hindrance to the nation8217;s progress. 8216;8216;As long as these people are considered inferior, we cannot get their full cooperation in the programmes for the progress of our country8217;8217;.

Civic text-books construct a dualistic world for the child 8212; urban vs rural, literate vs illiterate, developed vs backward. Rural India is represented as the repository of all ills. This stereotyping is evident in statements like 8216;8216;Indian villages are surrounded by fields with very narrow lanes. The houses in villages are made of mud and have thatched roofs8230; People in villages lead a somewhat leisurely life.8217;8217; Such statements would rank with the finest orientalist caricatures of the 19th century.

Then there is Unity in Diversity. But the textbooks look at diversity only in terms of dance, food, custom. The plurality of core cultural values, gender roles, economic systems and how these affect the people is passed over in silence. It should be obvious to any serious student of civics that this is one area that needs careful attention of those who seek to move future generations away from essentialising communities, religions, regions. Without rethinking civics, we might be moving towards a future where our diversity would be a historical phenomenon.