New Delhi, September 30, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
BJP leaders on Wednesday welcomed the inclusion of Sikh history and references to the persecution of Sikh Gurus during the Mughal period in the new Class 9 Social Science textbook released by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT).
The new textbook, Understanding Society: India and Beyond — Social Science Textbook for Grade 9, Part 2, covers the period from 1000 to 1700 CE under a chapter titled “Resistance and Resilience”. NCERT’s official syllabus identifies safeguarding sovereignty, resistance, alliances and confederacies among the themes for the chapter.
The section on Sikh history discusses the spiritual and political resilience of the Sikh community, including the martyrdom of Sikh Gurus and what the textbook describes as rigid religious and discriminatory practices during the Mughal period.
BJP Rajya Sabha member Vikramjit Singh Sahney welcomed the development, saying he had earlier raised the issue of including Sikh history in school textbooks.
Sahney said Guru Tegh Bahadur’s sacrifice for religious freedom and Guru Gobind Singh’s sacrifices, including those of his family, should be properly represented in educational material. He also referred to the commemoration of Shaheed Veer Bal Diwas and said Delhi University had introduced an elective course on Sikh history.
BJP leader Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodhi also welcomed the inclusion, saying students should learn about the sacrifices made by Sikh Gurus and the Sikh community.
He referred to Guru Tegh Bahadur, Guru Gobind Singh, the four Sahibzadas, Guru Arjan Dev, Banda Singh Bahadur, Hari Singh Nalwa and General Ahluwalia while highlighting the Sikh community’s contribution to the country.
BJP national spokesperson Guru Prakash Paswan said the revised curriculum would bring greater attention to historical figures and traditions that, according to him, had received less attention in earlier official narratives.
BJP spokesperson Pratul Shah Deo said Sikh history was an integral part of Indian history and suggested that Maharaja Ranjit Singh should also be given a dedicated chapter in school textbooks.
The new textbook broadly presents medieval Indian history through the theme of resistance and resilience, covering the Rajputs, Ahom kingdom, Vijayanagara Empire, Marathas, Sikhs and Jats, among others. It also discusses Mughal-era conflicts, cooperation between regional powers and the Mughals, temple destruction and reconstruction, and the Bhakti tradition.
Deo also criticised earlier representations of medieval history and made claims about Mughal rulers and Tipu Sultan. These remarks reflect the BJP spokesperson’s political interpretation of historical events.
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