RSS leader Sunil Ambekar said on Friday that new history textbooks no longer use the title “the great” for Mughal emperor Akbar or Mysore ruler Tipu Sultan. He said the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has made several changes, but no historical figure has been removed. “The new generation should know their cruel deeds and understand who victimised us and from whom we should remain free,” he said while speaking at the Orange City Literature Festival in Nagpur.
Ambekar said he was pleased that NCERT had revised textbooks for 11 out of 15 classes and that books for Classes 9, 10 and 12 will be updated next year. “Many good changes have been made and more can be done in the future,” he added.
He also spoke about India’s ancient knowledge traditions and said the country has much to offer the world. Pointing to Nalanda University, he said people often assume only texts like the Vedas, Puranas, Ramayana and Mahabharata were taught there, but the syllabus shows a wide range of subjects. “Along with literature, 76 types of skill-based courses were taught at Nalanda. These included farming, urban planning, make-up, secret agent training, political governance, mechanisation and many others,” he said.
Ambekar argued that India must think about the kind of society it wants to build. He said many countries lost their cultural identity while chasing modern development and markets. Although technology brought comfort, he said it harmed personal and family life.
Speaking about the Ram temple in Ayodhya, Ambekar said some people question why the RSS invested so much effort in its construction. “It was not just about building a temple. We must think about our relationship with Lord Ram and the culture he represents. The campaign was meant to help people understand this,” he said. He added that young people today feel a stronger sense of self-respect about “dharma”.
Ambekar praised the younger generation, saying they are exposed, capable and patriotic. “For them, patriotism is a cool thing,” he said.
