Sources confirm that a controversial decision to excise the torso of the ‘dancing girl’ from an Indian school textbook has been reversed after weeks of global outcry. The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) had initially removed the image of the 4,500-year-old bronze statue—a centrepiece of the Indus Valley civilisation—from its Class 12 history textbook, citing ‘rationalisation’ of content. Critics accused the government of sanitising history, bowing to political pressure from Hindu nationalist groups who deemed the figurine ‘obscene’.
But the backlash was swift. International archaeologists, historians, and educators condemned the move as an assault on India’s secular heritage. The hashtag #RestoreDancingGirl trended on social media for weeks. Under pressure, NCERT issued a terse statement late Tuesday: ‘We have reinstated the image to its original context following a review of feedback from stakeholders.’
Uncovered documents show that the decision to remove the torso was made in a closed-door meeting in July, with no consultation from the Indian Council of Historical Research. A source inside NCERT told me: ‘It was a panic move. They didn’t expect the pushback. Now they’re scrambling to save face.’
This isn’t a mere textbook correction. It’s a battle over who controls India’s past. The dancing girl—with her confident pose and bangles—is a symbol of a sophisticated, pre-Aryan civilisation. For some, that’s a threat. The restoration is a win for academic integrity, but the war over India’s history is far from over. The next target? More likely the Purana Qila excavation reports. Follow the money. Follow the ideology.
