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3. Textbook Regimes: Gujarat Study Report

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3. Textbook Regimes: Gujarat Study Report Textbook Regimes: A Feminist Critique of Nation and Identity explores the linkages between nationalism, identity and gender in school textbooks. The study attempts to understand the politics of school textbooks, moving beyond standard techniques of addressing gender, like increased visual representation and removal of gender stereotypes. This feminist critique uses power as a key concept to analyse how structures and hierarchies are reflected and validated in the content and pedagogy of the language, social sciences and adolescent education/moral science textbooks. An indepth reading of textbooks maps the manner in which knowledge within the different disciplines gets constructed for the learner. It also studies the impact of centrist notions and regional politics on the content of school textbooks. By intersecting gender with other categories of caste, class, religion, and with issues of sexuality, the study attempts an understanding of how inequities are recast and communicated in textbooks. Nirantar is a feminist organisation that works on issues of gender and education, promoting literacy and access to information and engendering the education process in diverse contexts. Through grassroots interventions, research, training, creating educational resources, advocacy and engagement with the women's movement, the organisation brings issues of equity and gender centre stage in the arena of education. TEXTBOOK REGIMES a feminist critique of nation and identity This report is part of a larger study on school textbooks visualised and undertaken by Nirantar, in partnership with Women’s Studies units and research organisations in Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, West Bengal, and Uttar Pradesh. In addition to the four state-specific studies, textbooks produced by national-level institutions, including private publishers, have been analysed by Nirantar. These five reports, as well as the main findings of the study, are available as separate publications. The Women’s Studies Research Centre (WSRC) at the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda was established in July 1990. The Centre is now a permanent and integral part of the university system. Various dimensions of women’s lives, such as health and nutrition, economic status, education and training, environment, housing, energy and the law have formed the terrain of its activities. The objectives of the WSRC M S University include: l Incorporation of gender perspectives in mainstream disciplines through courses, seminars, workshops, and curriculum development programmes with different departments of the University. l Gender sensitisation workshops for government agencies like the police, judiciary, health workers. l Policy research for/with government agencies at the state and national levels has been a priority for the Centre. l Networking with organisations working within the state and region on women and issues that affect their lives. The Gujarat Forum for Women’s Studies and Action, a state-level network of women’s studies scholars and activists, which grew out of the Centre’s networking activities, gives considerable support to the Centre’s perspective-building efforts. l Documentation activities involving workshops, acquisition of print and non-print materials, publication of a biannual newsletter, and publishing monographs on various research studies. With current holdings of more than 2500 books, around 50 journals, and numerous dossiers on issues of contemporary interest, as well as audio and video cassettes, the Centre is used extensively by students, faculty and independent researchers from India and abroad. This publication was supported by Hivos, Sir Ratan Tata Trust and German Adult Education Any part of this report may be used with an acknowledgement of the source. For details about the research studies or their further use please contact Nirantar. Information about where the report has been used will be useful for us. Publisher: Nirantar First Edition: June, 2010 (25 copies dt. July, 2009) Cover: Yashas Chandra Layout: Kishor Editing: Rimli Barooah Production coordinator: Mridu Kamal Printing: Durable Printers. 9810529858 For copies contact: Nirantar B-64, Sarvodaya Enclave New Delhi 110017, India Email: [email protected] Web: www.nirantar.net Suggested Contribution : Rs. 150/- TEXTBOOK REGIMES a feminist critique of nation and identity state Research Team Nandini Manjrekar Trupti Shah Johanna Lokhande Nitesh Chaudhury State Project Coordinator Nandini Manjrekar Centre for Studies in Sociology of Education, TISS Project Coordinator Dipta Bhog Nirantar ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Several individuals and institutions supported and contributed to this study of Gujarat Textbooks. We would specifically like to thank: Ila Pathak, Ahmedabad Women’s Action Group, a ‘godmother’ in the area of gender and curriculum in Gujarat, for generously sharing perspectives and AWAG materials; Achyut Yagnik, Suchitra Sheth and Bakula Ghaswala for sharing perspectives on contemporary cultural politics and education in Gujarat; Viraj Pandit for helping out with the study in its initial stages and also for analyzing lessons in the Gujarati books; Atul Parmar and Amarendra Pandey for analysis of literature lessons; Niti Chopra, Faculty of Journalism and Communication, M S University, for suggestions on research design in the initial phases of the project; Lajwanti Chatani, Dept of Political Science, M S University, for analytical inputs at various stages; Prital Thakar for typing assistance; The late Bina Srinivasan, for editorial help and suggestions; Gita Viswanath, for coming in with editing help at the final stages; Johannes Manjrekar for critical readings and editing; Naina for cheerfully helping to organize the visuals; Rohit Prajapati for helping out at various stages with computer and other support. All participants of the two regional workshops held in Vadodara in March 2005 and September 2006 for their valuable inputs; The Women’s Studies Research Centre, Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, for housing this project initially, the Centre for Studies in Sociology of Education, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai for providing it a second home, and Sahiyar Stree Sanghathan, Vadodara, for sheltering it at all times. Nandini Manjrekar, Trupti Shah, Johanna Lokhande, Nitesh Chaudhury Vadodara, Gujarat We at Nirantar would like to thank: Uma Chakravarti and Sarada Balagopalan, who went well beyond the brief of being ‘advisors’, generously giving not just their time and ideas but engaging with the partners, reading many versions and struggling with us through the past three years. Both brought in their own unique contributions. Uma brought a passion and interest in history, gender and caste that pushed the group to move beyond the nitty-gritty to see the larger patterns and make the connections across states and disciplines. Sarada brought together a rare combination of being from the world of education, yet refreshingly feminist in her analysis, and who read our various drafts tirelessly and with rigour, pointing to even spelling errors! Krishna Kumar, who as advisor joined in at strategic moments to ask us critical questions. He was also crucial in creating the space for us in Nirantar to practise some of our own analysis in the writing of school textbooks, which occurred simultaneously. Farida Khan, provided the encouragement and support required of an advisor and was there whenever we required her. V. Geetha, Paromita Chakravarti, Kavita Punjabi, Rooprekha Verma, Nandini Manjrekar and Trupti Shah for believing in the idea and making it their own. Also for all the insights, humour and sheer joy they brought to the study. Niharika Gupta for her hard work on developing and refining the rubrics we used for the study. Barnita Bagchi for initial help and support. Colleagues at Nirantar, particularly Shalini Joshi, Malini Ghose, Jaya Sharma and Purnima Gupta, who patiently put up with our delays and at times our long absences from organisational responsibilities, taking some of that burden on themselves. Huma Khan of Nirantar for translation and referencing and Sadia Saeed for library related support. Also Prasanna V.T, Soshamma Mathai, Anil Hasda and Ajay Singh for superb administrative support that made work across states possible. Mridu Kamal for plunging into the role of Production Coordinator with such enthusiasm and assurance. Yashas Chandra, our designer, for his neat, uncluttered design template, and Kishor for bravely tackling the layout. Rimli Barooah, for prompt and efficient editing. Kachnar and Sahar, who wondered why adults read their school textbooks in such detail and were so consumed by them, when they themselves wished they could run a mile from them. Mahesh Daga, whose contributions have been mostly invisible and who played an important role in the initial conceptualistion of the study. Errors, if and when they occur, are all ours. Dipta Bhog, Purwa Bharadwaj and Disha Mullick CONTENTS Introduction viii Shaping Character & Culture 1 Reading Gujarati Textbooks The Revered Nation: Social Science Textbooks in Gujarat 41 The Past in the Present: Reading History Lessons The Arrival of the Nation: Lessons in Civics Hindu Pasts for a Hindu Present: The Vidyabharati Books Moulding Body and Mind 147 The Ideal Body: Health and Physical Education Timeless Morality: Value Education Textbooks Analysed 169 Bibliography 171 Research Partners 172 viii INTRODUCTION Learning India, Learning Gujarat: Texts in Context Nandini Manjrekar In this study, we explore representations of gender and
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