We are in impressionable age when we are school children. Certain facts we read and learn from history leave deep impressions on our minds. These impressions can grow into prejudices, bitterness, bigotry, hatred, rivalry, fanaticism, unrest and riots and severe stress in personal and social life. In addition to the “inappropriate historical facts”; the ambiguity in the teaching of values taught in the history can also bring about severe stress in individual and global life.

Recently I watched on TV that the history books are studded with photographs and details of invader emperors, while the freedom fighters and saints are totally neglected.

I was reminded of the fact we, as children harbored in minds a divisive (and in my view hoax) theory of “Aryan invasion” that surreptiously suggests division of Bharat into “indigenous dravids” and “alien invader Aryans! We also read condemnation of certain rituals and traditions belonging to only Hindu religion suggesting indirectly (by omission of comments on traditions in the other religions) that all other religions except Hindu; are good and Hindu religion is backward and retrogressive!

We also carried conflicts due to praise we read about opposing values!

Thus, we never could understand how invaders could be adored, in the same vein as the freedom fighters! We also could never reason out how the violent activities of the armed revolutionaries were admired in the same vein as the nonviolent activities!

In view of the severe conflict and stress that can result in personal life and social life, it is imperative to understand and explain the gist of history and the purpose of teaching history! It is also necessary to present accurate facts in a manner and details; appropriate to the development of the students in schools and children at homes.

The history curriculum designers should avert the stress in individual and social life of the growing generations, by taking urgent and proper steps!