A fresh NCERT module released to mark Partition Horrors Remembrance Day (August 14) sends ripples through classrooms and beyond. Designed for students from Classes 6–8, the special module boldly names three actors as responsible for India's painful 1947 split: Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the Congress, and Lord Mountbatten.

The module unpacks this pivotal moment: Jinnah had relentlessly pushed for a separate nation. Meanwhile, the Congress which initially resisted the idea accepted Partition under immense pressure. Lord Mountbatten, arriving as Viceroy, executed the decision. It quotes Jawaharlal Nehru in his own words:

"We have come to a stage when we must either accept division or face continued conflict and chaos. Partition is bad. But whatever the price of unity, the price of civil war would be infinitely greater."

By naming Congress among the culprits, the module has ignited political controversy. Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera slammed the curriculum, calling it misleading and going as far as demanding it be burned. The move has turned classrooms into echo chambers of historical debate and introspection students and educators alike are being challenged to reflect on who truly bears responsibility for Partition’s enduring scars.

Talking about colonial-era decisions in school isn’t just about facts it’s about understanding the human cost behind history. NCERT’s module isn’t claiming this was inevitable; it encourages young minds to confront the myriad forces political, ideological, and practical that shaped one of the largest human displacements in history.

As the debate unfolds, one thing is clear: history taught in classrooms isn't static. It’s a living conversation and, perhaps now more than ever, students are being invited into it.