JAIPUR: The
Congress party elsewhere may be raising questions about casualties in the Balakot airstrikes, but its government in Rajasthan has introduced the
Balakot airstrikes
in the Class IX Social Science textbook, which the students will be using from academic session starting July.
The Rajasthan government is the first to introduce Balakot airstrikes in school curriculum. The highlighted text without any headline has been inserted into chapter 21 “Rashtriya suraksha evum shaurya parampara (National security and tradition of valour)’’ by the RBSE. The content deals with India’s aerial strike on Pakistan post-Pulwama terror attack and talks about the role Wing Commander
Abhinandan Varthaman played. No mention is made of the government at the Centre.
“After a recent attack on defence forces by terrorist in Pulwama, Indian Air Force on February 26, 2019, with 12 Miraj 2000 fighter jets, attacked terrorist camps in Balakot area of Pakistan. The next day an F-16 Pakistan fighter jet violated Indian air space and attempted to attack (military establishments). Sensing attack in the air space, Indian Air Force directed its “braveheart” Wing Commander Abhinandan, who flew MIG 21, to respond. The commander displayed his excellence by shooting down a plane, which was better than the jet he was flying,” reads the excerpt from the text.
There is no mention about the number of terrorists killed in the attack. It further gives credit to the Geneva Convention 1949 and international community for exerting pressure for Abhinandan’s release and concludes by giving a Rajasthan connect to the fighter pilot stating he studied in Jodhpur. The chapters have detailed account of India’s war with Pakistan and China along with profiles of prominent army officers and martyrs.
Refuting that Congress has ever questioned the strikes, state education minister Govind Singh Dotasra told TOI, “Congress has always respected armed forces and stood with them like a wall...”
Explaining why the event was added, the minister responded, “The text has been incorporated to motivate and inspire students to serve the nation. No doubt, this is an important event in Indian defence history. Our armed forces have shown extreme courage by giving a befitting reply to Pakistan and should be respected.”
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