The omission of the Paika rebellion from the NCERT textbook has sparked controversy in Odisha, with former chief minister Naveen Patnaik condemning the move and terming it a huge dishonour to the state’s history and legacy.
The Paika rebellion, also known as the peasant rebellion, in which common peasants revolted against the British, took place in 1817, much before the sepoy mutiny in 1857.
Naveen wrote on X: “Deeply concerned to know that the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has dropped Odisha’s Paika Rebellion or Paika Bidroha from its textbooks. The Paika rebellion was a watershed moment in Odisha’s history as our brave Paikas fought with extraordinary courage against the oppressive British way back in 1817.”
Naveen also mentioned how the Paikas came together to fight against the tyranny of foreign colonial rule with unparalleled bravery. “The omission of the epic rebellion from NCERT textbooks, which took place 40 years before the sepoy mutiny is a huge dishonour to our brave Paikas, 200 years after the rebellion — which became torchbearer for people’s movement against British rule,” Naveen wrote.
There is demand in Odisha to declare Paika Bidroh as the first war of Indian independence. Students, until now, have been taught that the sepoy mutiny of 1857 was the first Indian war of independence.
Advisor of the Kalinga Paika Mahasanga, Amarendra Mohapatra, told The Telegraph: “The NCERT should release the textbook for Class VIII featuring the Paika rebellion in length without any delay.”
Mohapatra said: “The Centre had even organised the Pakia rebellion’s bicentenary celebration in 2017 under the leadership of Union minister Dhamendra Pradhan. In 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his visit to the state had released a commemorative stamp and a coin on the Paika rebellion.”
Amid the controversy, NCERT has issued a clarification stating that the second volume of the textbook, Exploring Society: Indian and Beyond, which is expected to be released by September or October, will include the Paika rebellion.
