Classrooms for Peace

“Hindus got enraged and started the genocide of Muslims…Englishmen were the rulers and Hindus were the enemy,”

reads one of the lines from a class 9&10 school textbook from Punjab, Pakistan (Subject: Urdu Grammar and Composition for the Academic Year 2012-2013). Another book from the same academic year, designed for a younger age group of class 5 states, “Hindus can never become the true friends of Muslims.”[1] Both of these textbooks are endorsed by the Pakistani government and distributed across public schools as well as many private low-income schools across the province. Textbooks from other provinces too often do not fare much better. Stories of one-sided violence of Hindus and Sikhs against Muslims at Partition are entrenched in the literature and reinforced in classroom settings through the reading of these school texts.

On the other side of the border, the educational curriculum has been criticized by noted Indian scholars for also promoting misconceptions, distortions and omissions which conform with national projects. In particular, they note the attempts made by the Hindu right at different points in history to portray Muslims as ‘barbaric’ and the enemies of Hinduism. For instance, NCERT textbooks from 2001 emphasized one-sided violence against Hindus by Muslims. The Medieval History (A History Textbook for Class XI, 2001) states, ‘A vehement persecution of the Brahmanas began in the reign of Sikandar Shah…the Sultan ordered that all Brahmanas and learned Hindus should become Musulmans or leave the valley. Their temples were to be destroyed and the idols of gold and silver were to be melted down in order to be used for currency.”[2]The same textbook later underscores that, ‘Their (Muslim) policy towards temples and places of worship of Hindus, Jains, etc. rested on the Muslim law (Sharia) which forbade new places of worship being built in opposition to Islam.”

While the 2005 National Curriculum Framework encouraged a more holistic understanding of history and positive steps were undertaken to remove hate content from textbooks, under the incumbent government, there are growing concerns  about revisions of textbooks[3] which continue to selectively glorify the role of Hindus while demonizing Muslims. A third generation Pakistani, I grew up in the 90s midst these ‘otherizing’ narratives, internalizing many of the prejudices and stereotypes promoted in schools and media about those across the border. My first interaction with Indians was during my undergraduate studies in UK and later in Canada. I was taken aback by how similar ‘they’ seemed and it did not take long for deep friendships to foster. However, it wasn’t until my return to Pakistan and the beginning of my career with a local NGO, The Citizens Archive of Pakistan (CAP) that I truly understood the grave manifestations of the hate sentiment that was bred through textbooks and school settings. Running the Oral History Program for CAP, my job was to collect oral history interviews with the Partition generation. At the same time, I was leading the organization’s Exchange-for-Change Program, a cross-cultural initiative that connected school children in India and Pakistan. Working with two distinct generations, the Partition generation and young students, made it difficult to ignore the growing and glaring intergenerational mistrust and resentment against the ‘other.’ As I held workshops in India and Pakistan for the Exchange-for-Change project, I came across first-hand sentiments of hate for each other across low, middle and high income schools across cities like Lahore, Karachi, Rawalpindi, Delhi, Mumbai and Chandigarh. My further research on intergenerational perceptions of Partition through oral history interviews across four generations of Indians and Pakistanis for my first book, The Footprints of Partition, only reinforced that a growing process of otherization and dehumanization was taking place, with children often more hostile and partitioned than those who lived through and survived the bloodshed of 1947; after all the latter lived through a time when the identity of those from different religious communities was far more nuanced, and when there was an interdependence and co-existence in society even as fault lines marred relationships.

According to a poll by Gallup Pakistan, 76% of Pakistanis have never met an Indian. It is likely that the figure is more or less mirrored on the other side. In lieu of meeting each other, the text has the power of becoming the only “truth” children have access to. While I was with CAP, as Director Exchange-for-Change I was able to connect thousands of school children across both countries through a series of exchanges of letters, postcards, collages and finally a physical exchange. However, without institutional support and funding, such projects can be difficult to run and sustain. Thus, after my tenure with CAP, as an educator I began to think of the ways in which micro-level exchanges could continue, uninterrupted by issues of funding and logistics. I wondered how in a scenario – in which classrooms can become centers for breeding hate sentiment against the “other” through rote learning of textbook  syllabi – can educators transform the space to humanize the “other?” How can we incorporate books, articles, and discussion on material outside textbooks to create possibilities for peace?

Over the past few years, I have used Skype and virtual exchanges to connect school children in India and Pakistan to initiate dialogue between the youth of the two countries. The work has ranged across high income schools as well as low income schools in different cities, including Lahore, Mumbai, Islamabad and Kolkata. However, this often does not come easy. The challenges are both institutional and structural. For instance, while schools can be keen on such exchanges during more ‘peaceful times’, when tensions between India and Pakistan escalate, institutions are skeptical of these initiatives due to fear of backlash. Thus, maintaining a sustained dialogue can be difficult. Moreover, children, who until then have mostly relied on school syllabi to understand those across the divide, can be reluctant to interact. One student, from an upper income school in Islamabad, refused to participate in a Skype exchange. Her reason was simple. She had read terrible things about Indians in her textbooks and had no desire to make friends out of people she had learnt to consider her enemies. How does one begin a conversation, and that too virtually, when there is such disconnect and distrust? I found the answer in poems, book excerpts and articles.

In February 2019 a group of std. IX – XIII students from Islamabad and Mumbai read extracts from the poem Barefoot Boy by J.L Mason from the Bahamian Anthology. The poem centers on a young boy from an impoverished family who is unable to afford school or basic necessities. In collaboration with an Indian NGO, that strives to provide quality education to children in Mumbai, we selected this poem because it enabled us to trespass points of conflict and division and speak about some of the gravest issues that impact both India and Pakistan: poverty and illiteracy. Students were encouraged to research on these social issues in their respective countries alongside reading the poem and to come up with meaningful comments and questions to ask each other. Within minutes, the awkwardness of encountering the ‘other’ on their projector screens in their classrooms was replaced by a bubbling curiosity and enthusiasm to share opinions and ask questions. From discussing the importance of education to uplift children out of poverty to the role of the government and civil society in helping the less privileged, the students had found a way to connect over some of the most pertinent issues that their countries continue to grapple with. These extracts from the poem then opened up conversation in other directions; they wanted to know about each other’s school system, their culture, their favourite food, music and movies. In between, the conversation was interspersed with heavier topics such as Partition, Kashmir and the role of the British. The chatter continued until class time ended and we had to say good-byes. One of the most common refrains after this interaction from both sides of the border was ”woh bhi him jaise hi hain” (they are just like us too).

During another interaction, students read a poem titled I build walls (anonymous writer) and discussed the ways in which divisions and conflict hurt both India and Pakistan. On a separate occasion students read an article about immigrant experiences which prompted a conversation about identity. These poems, articles and texts have played an instrumental role in breaking the ice and allowing students to explore aspects that connect them. After these conversations, Pakistani students commented on how impressed they were by how ‘enlightened’ Indian students were. One student remarked ‘There is a misconception that there is animosity on both sides but speaking to Indian students showed that this isn’t true.’ Another said, “I thought of them in terms of stereotypes but when I spoke to them that changed. [I realized] there were no different than us.” From India, students too remarked on how confident Pakistani students were, how well they communicated and the ways in which their stereotypes of Pakistan and Pakistanis were challenged.

Bringing in texts from outside school syllabi and using technology to initiate dialogue offers innovative ways for students to engage with the concept of the ‘other’ and question their preconceived notions. It allows them to learn about this ‘other’ through the ‘other’. The impact of these interactions can be transformational. In 2016, after a Skype exchange with a school in Mumbai, a student remarked “Now I know that not all Pakistanis are murderers…I too can think of going to Pakistan.” I often wonder what would have happened had we never spoken, had this young 7^th grader never “met” a Pakistani, relying instead on school textbooks, jingoistic media reports and mainstream discourse. School textbooks in both countries need serious reflection and fundamental changes. The one-sided narratives they promote, in the name of nationalism, pose grave dangers for future generations of Indians and Pakistanis. In light of this, bringing in material from outside and enhancing people-to-people contact can leave a lasting impact, with classrooms shifting from reinforcing prejudices to becoming platforms for peace and tolerance.

While these Skype exchanges are limited in terms of the outreach and impact they can have, given that they are individual-led initiatives, they are also easy to execute and implement. Over the years, more and more organizations and individuals on both sides of the border have shown a keen interest in getting involved and spearheading their own exchanges. The success depends on the buy-in from the different educational institutions, which can be difficult when Indo-Pak relations are tense. However, the strength of these initiatives also lies in the fact that they do not require big funding, press coverage or grand launches. The will of a few educators and brainstorming sessions between teachers on both sides to select the right texts to spark conversation are the only preparations required. While ideally these initiatives would be implemented across public and private schools and can also include a physical interaction, the scope of such a project would necessitate government endorsement and permission. The bureaucratic hurdles and the constant threat of the project being shut down whenever tensions escalate could make it collateral damage of Indo-Pak hostilities. In the absence of a stable cross-border relationship, using technology and turning class room spaces into avenues for dialogue can provide a critical alternative and generate the possibility for sustained dialogue.

[1]National Commission for Justice and Peace, Education vs Fanatic Literacy: A Study on the Hate Content in Textbooks in Punjab and Sindh Provinces, Sanjh Publications, 2013

[2]Zahid Shahab Ahmed and Michelle Antonette Baxter, “Attitude of Teachers in India and Pakistan: Texts and Contexts.” Women in Security, Conflict Management and Peace (WISCOMP 2007)

[3] https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2018/12/06/indias-dangerous-new-curriculum/