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NCERT Restores Original Mohenjo-daro Image of 'Dancing Girl'
NCERT, National Council of Education and Research Training, in India, changed their position on the use of a modified image of the 'Dancing Girl' in Mohenjo-daro in their newly introduced Class 9 Arts Education Textbook, 'Madhurima.' The change came about due to a quick and widespread backlash from historians, archaeologists, and educators, most of whom cited that changing the ancient artifact would compromise its archaeological integrity, and described the previous position of NCERT as a form of inappropriate censorship.
NCERT director Dinesh Saklani, stated that the original, unshaded image of the Harappan-era bronze figurine would be made available in the digital formats of the textbooks, as an immediate measure, and would be included in all future physical copies of the textbooks.
What Sparked the Controversy?
While reading, people noticed the visual depiction of the figurine in the first chapter (the chapter titled “History of Arts”) had been altered, and this sparked a debate.
- The Alteration: The statuette’s upper body featured heavy dark shading, which obscured her bare torso’s anatomy. The critics and observers of this shading had pointed out that the shading gave the impression that the statuette had been “clothed” by shading.
- The Contradiction: Critics pointed out that while the Class 9 Arts book published by NCERT featured the edited image, the new Class 6 Social Science Textbook published by NCERT featured the same Dancing Girl sans the “clothing”—in her original, unedited form.
"The modification misrepresents the original artefact... unless this is clearly done to indicate the possible reconstruction of a partial artefact, altering such an image amounts to creating a fake artefact."
Importance of the 'Dancing Girl'
Located in the ancient city of Mohenjo-Daro, the ‘Dancing Girl’ bronze sculpture is a remarkably significant archaeological artifact.
|
Feature |
Historical Significance |
|---|---|
|
Age & Origin |
Approximately 4,500 years old, originating from the mature Harappan period in Mohenjo-daro. |
|
Craftsmanship |
A masterclass in the lost-wax casting technique, proving that the Indus Valley Civilisation possessed highly advanced metallurgical knowledge. |
|
Cultural Value |
Her iconic akimbo posture (one hand on the hip, head tilted back) has been found on other regional artifacts, showing it carried precise artistic and cultural meaning. |
Importance of the Recent Developments in History Education
The scope of the rapid resolution of this public controversy and the successful application of critical thinking tools in this context exemplifies the significance of this case as a successful application of critical thinking tools (especially in the context of the education system) and a significant advancement for evidence-based education.
The main lessons from this case were:
- Deal with Claims of Authenticity with Skepticism: Textbooks should show traces and remains of the past as they are discovered and should not adapt or alter them to modern sensibilities.
- Restoring the Original Form of Evidence is a Form of Historical Education: Altering visual evidence is a grave danger as it may violate a student's trust in the educational process.
- Academic and Public Scrutiny: The change proved that the public and academic scrutiny are important to correcting and maintaining educational standards.
In the future, the Digital Age will allow Class 9 students to interact with the actual physical history housed in the National Museum of New Delhi—unchanged and true to its ancient form.
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