'People in Korea speak half Tamil,' says Madhavan as he questions NCERT for ignoring southern India history

Amid ongoing changes to India's school history curriculum, actor R Madhavan has publicly voiced concerns over what he describes as historical imbalance in education. He criticised the overrepresentation of Mughal and British rule in textbooks while Southern Indian kingdoms like the Cholas, Pandyas, Pallavas, and Cheras remain largely overlooked.

Recalling his own school experience, Madhavan said history lessons then included eight chapters on the Mughals, two on the Harappa and Mohenjo-daro civilizations, four on British rule and the freedom struggle, but just one chapter on Southern dynasties. “The British and the Mughals ruled us for close to 800 years, but the Chola Empire is 2,400 years old,” he said, questioning why these contributions were condensed into a single chapter.

Southern Dynasties’ Global Influence Ignored

The actor highlighted that Southern kingdoms were pioneers in naval power and international trade. Their influence, according to him, extended to places as far as Rome through their spice routes and reached Southeast Asia with temple constructions as far as Angkor Wat. He also pointed to the spread of Jainism, Hinduism, and Buddhism to countries like China and Korea, where he claimed “people speak half Tamil” due to the language’s historical influence.

He criticised the omission of these facts in school history lessons and questioned the authorities responsible for shaping such a syllabus. “Whose narrative is this? Who decided the syllabus?” he asked, arguing that Tamil, “the oldest language in the world,” deserves greater recognition and inclusion in educational material. Madhavan added that the scientific knowledge within Indian traditions is currently being mocked instead of preserved.

NCERT Faces Backlash Over Revised Curriculum

Madhavan’s remarks coincide with the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) facing criticism for its recent syllabus revisions. In its updated Class 7 history books, the council has removed entire sections on the Delhi Sultanate and Mughal Empire. References to social movements and the caste system have also been excluded.

Instead, the new curriculum features content aligned with current national initiatives like ‘Make in India’ and ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao,’ as well as religious topics such as the Char Dham Yatra. These changes are part of the 2023 National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCFSE), a policy aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) aiming to incorporate Indian traditions and philosophies into mainstream education.

Earlier, during the Covid-19 pandemic, NCERT had reportedly ‘rationalised’ the syllabus by trimming content on various dynasties, including the Tughlaqs, Khaljis, Mamluks, and Lodis. A two-page summary of Mughal rulers’ achievements was also removed. However, this is the first time entire content related to the Mughal Empire and the Delhi Sultanate has been deleted, sparking a nationwide debate over historical representation.

Film ‘Kesari Chapter 2’ Aims to Reclaim Historical Narratives

Madhavan’s comments come alongside the release of his latest film Kesari Chapter 2: The Untold Story of Jallianwala Bagh. The historical courtroom drama, a spiritual successor to Akshay Kumar’s 2019 film Kesari, aims to highlight overlooked stories from India’s colonial past.

In the film, Madhavan plays Advocate Neville McKinley, while Akshay Kumar stars as Advocate C. Sankaran Nair, who fought to expose the truth behind the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre. The movie also features Ananya Panday, Regina Cassandra, and Simon Paisley Day. It has received positive responses from audiences and critics for its attempt to depict lesser-known aspects of Indian history.

Madhavan tied his role in the film to the broader issue of historical representation, saying the portrayal of events like the Jallianwala Bagh massacre has often been skewed in textbooks. He criticised the colonial narrative that implied Indian protestors might have provoked the British, saying such interpretations downplay the atrocities of colonial rule.