In Pakistan, hate for Hindus and India begin at school

The school books in Pakistan are spreading anti-Hindu and anti-India sentiments, according to an exclusive report in News18.

The class 8 and 9 history books are filled with hatred against India and Hindus, the report said and the curriculum is designed by educational experts in the country.

The report states that the textbooks are published by National Book Foundation (Federal Textbook Board, Islamabad).

It has shared sample pictures from textbooks that spread anti-India and anti-Hindu sentiments. "Many Indians joined hands to demand for India's nationalism, purely Hindu in religion. Indian National Congress (INC), therefore, became more a Hindu political party than a voice of the whole India," the report cited a sample from the textbook.

MK Gandhi, a Hindu Leader

According to the Pakistan school book, Mahatma Gandhi was a "Hindu leader" and it accuses him of having "disregard for Muslims." "Gandhi and his young supporters took charge of the Congress and approach of Hindu as a majority and disregard to Muslim rights created hatred, jealousy and narrow-mindedness," the report cited another quote from the school book.

The textbook claims that before partition Muslims had no trust in Hindus in safeguarding their interests.

"The partition of Bengal brought the realisation to Muslims that they could not expect any fair-play from the Hindu majority. Therefore, to safeguard their interests, the Muslim leaders drew up a plan for separate electorates for their community," the text reads. In another instance, it mentions, "However, the Muslims had learned an important lesson that they could neither trust Hindus nor British...The Khilafat movement in this respect brought in the concept of nationhood for the Muslims of India," the book claims.

The textbooks talk about the annulment of the partition of Bengal claiming that it became a "setback for Muslims", but became a lesson for the community as it made them realise that they cannot trust Hindus or the British.

The News18 report highlights that Muslims in India never wanted to be part of one country. The textbooks also fail to mention that Hindus-Muslims together fought against the British Raj. In many places, there are claims of Muslims being oppressed by "Hindu majority" before the partition.

"The Congress ruled badly. The period was marked with political corruption and high-handedness of the party over the government. These governments introduced schemes like Vidya Mandir and Gandhiji's Wardha. These schemes were not acceptable to the Muslims.

The Congress government took steps to replace Urdu with Hindi and tried to introduce 'Bande Matram' as the official anthem. This song had anti-Muslim background and provoked hatred against the Muslims," the class 9 chapter on "Elections of provincial assemblies under Govt of India Act 1935 stated.

The book also blames India for post-partition violence.

Is this surprising?

However, this has not come as a surprise as Pakistani schools have been accused of fostering prejudice and intolerance for Hindus and other religious minorities for ages. A study by a US government commission in 2011 had explained how deeply ingrained hard-line Islam was in Pakistan. It had claimed that most teachers view non-Muslims as ''enemies of Islam."

"Teaching discrimination increases the likelihood that violent religious extremism in Pakistan will continue to grow, weakening religious freedom, national and regional stability, and global security, said Leonard Leo, the chairman of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom. The report found systematic negative portrayals of minorities, especially Hindus and to a lesser extent to Christians.

"Religious minorities are often portrayed as inferior or second-class citizens who have been granted limited rights and privileges by generous Pakistani Muslims, for which they should be grateful," the report said.

"Hindus are repeatedly described as extremists and eternal enemies of Islam whose culture and society is based on injustice and cruelty, while Islam delivers a message of peace and brotherhood, concepts portrayed as alien to the Hindu."

''In most cases historic revisionism seems designed to exonerate or glorify Islamic civilisation, or to denigrate the civilisations of religious minorities,'' the report said.

''The anti-Islamic forces are always trying to finish the Islamic domination of the world,'' read one passage from social studies text being taught to Grade 4 students in Punjab province, the country's most populated, the 2011 report stated.

''This can cause danger for the very existence of Islam. Today, the defense of Pakistan and Islam is very much in need,'' the report cited the text from the textbook.

BBC Report

Similarly, in 2021, a BBC video had showcased how Pakistani textbooks are used for anti-Hindu propaganda. The video talks about the normalisation of anti-Hindu bigotry in school textbooks backed by the government.

Reality Check

Pakistan was carved out of India in 1947 as an independent nation and minorities were promised that they would have full rights. The three wars with India and the appeasement of hard-line clerics by weak governments seeking legitimacy have led to a radicalisation of society. However, in India, the story stands completely different.

Our textbooks had never defamed Pakistan and never spoken ill about Islam. Today, India has become the fifth-largest economy in the world.

With hatred being spread from the textbook level, it is not surprising to see debt-ridden Pakistan becoming the "epicentre of terror".