The Madras High Court on Friday issued a notice to the Central government and the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) regarding a petition seeking a revision of a passage in the Class IX history textbook titled 'India and the Contemporary World I'. The plea demands a clear distinction between the Nazi-era symbol 'Hakenkreuz' (Hooked Cross) and the Dharmic symbol 'Swastika', along with a clarificatory note that both symbols are different.
Bench Orders Notice
A division bench comprising Justice N Sathish Kumar and Justice M Jothiraman ordered the notice while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Mahalingam Balaji from Thanjavur district. The court has adjourned the hearing to July 13.
Petitioner's Arguments
The petitioner argued that the incorrect association of the word 'Swastika' with 'Hakenkreuz' has severe, real-world impacts on Hindus, Buddhists, and Jains. Globally, this wrong association creates a potentially dangerous environment, giving the false impression that Dharmic religions are tied to Nazi ideology. He stated that misleading and false claims propagated through textbooks have a potential impact on society. For many years, several NCERT students have been taught that the Swastika is a Nazi-era symbol. Unless NCERT formally acknowledges that the Nazi-era symbol was Hakenkreuz, those students will potentially continue to carry a negative perception about the Swastika. Hence, the petitioner moved the court seeking a direction in this regard.
The court will hear the matter further on the next date of hearing, which is July 13.
