Guwahati: The Sivasagar District Congress Committee (DCC), along with the OBC department of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC), staged a protest at Rang Ghar Bakori on Wednesday, against what they describe as NCERT’s “distorted portrayal” of Ahom history in the new Class 8 history textbook.
Sivasagar DCC President Pranab Saikia and APCC General Secretary Raktim Gogoi led the protest and called on NCERT to correct the content before the textbook sees wider distribution.
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In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the Assam Congress stated: “Sivasagar DCC and the OBC Dept of Assam PCC held a protest at Rang Ghar Bakori against NCERT’s distorted portrayal of Ahom history in Class 8 textbooks,” noting that both Saikia and Gogoi led the demonstration.
During the event, Saikia criticized the textbook for inaccurately depicting the Ahom dynasty and stressed the need to reflect their centuries of independent rule. Gogoi also raised concerns over the textbook’s portrayal of the Paik system and the origins of the Ahom community, which he said lacked historical accuracy.
Historians and scholars who reviewed the content echoed these concerns. They argued that the textbook wrongly describes the Paik system as forced labour and inaccurately links the Ahom origins to Myanmar, rather than Mung Mao in present-day Yunnan. They also challenged the description of the 1663 Treaty of Ghilajarighat as a surrender, asserting that it was a strategic decision by Ahom leaders.
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The protestors urged NCERT to revise the textbook chapter in consultation with regional historians to ensure accurate representation of Assam’s six-century Ahom legacy in the national curriculum.