LONDON, ENGLAND, December 27, 2006: New lessons in Indian history announced today are anti-British according to a curriculum association. It accuses the Government's curriculum advisers of a politically correct interpretation of Britain's imperial past based on false claims about Winston Churchill. Chris McGovern, the director of the History Curriculum Association, says The general tone of the unit is anti-British, with little about positive consequences of imperial rule. He has spotted errors of fact which portray Churchill in a bad light. The unit states that Churchill's view of Gandhi as a half-naked fakir' can be contrasted with the popular acclaim Gandhi received.
In fact Churchill said in 1931 that Gandhi was posing as a fakir and that he strode half naked up the steps of the vice regal palace. The term fakir was used derogatively at the time to denote a common street beggar who pretended to be a religious mystic by chanting ho ly names and scriptures. In effect teachers are being encouraged to use made-up evidence which is very much in line with the approach of New History, said Mr McGovern. A widely-used school text book covers the British Empire through the made-up words of what the dead might say if they could come back to life, he says. Ken Boston, the QCA's chief executive, says the unit is intended to help schools explore the impact of British rule in greater depth. Given the mix of nationalities in England, it is important to foster understanding through learning. Children need to learn about British history, but also need to improve their knowledge of the events that shaped the world we live in, he said. Learning more about the recent history of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh can help children better understand the legacy of the British Empire, providing an important and valuable insight into the history of their own country.
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