A ‘Holocaust education’ for India to create a just present

Source: The post is based on the article “A ‘Holocaust education’ for India to create a just present” published in The Hindu on 27^th January 2023.

Syllabus: GS 1 – World History

Relevance: learnings from the Holocaust

News: 27th January is remembered as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Six million Jews were murdered by Nazi-Germany in the Holocaust.

What can we learn from the Holocaust?

The Holocaust gives us the message that there is a need to respect human rights, have patience and respect others from different societies, race, sex, etc.

It is an example of the consequences of hate crimes and antisemitism that made their way into the mainstream. Antisemitism becomes more dangerous when used for power-related purposes or during crisis and uncertainty.

Today, the world is struggling with inequality, intolerance, and injustice in many places. Economic, cultural, religious and ethnic issues lead to division, hate crimes and violence in many parts of the globe.

Moreover, there has also been an increase in the number of antisemitic incidents against Jews all around the world.

Therefore, education about the Holocaust is necessary to understand the factors that led to the eradication of human rights and democratic values.

It can also help to understand circumstances that can cause increase in hate speech, violence, and even mass killing.

With this view, UNESCO has the initiative known as the International Program on Holocaust and Genocide Education (IPHGE). It is a step in the direction of fostering reparative justice.

The programme teaches the youth values, prepare them to address future challenges such as critical thinking, empathy, tolerance, and respect for human rights.

How does India view the Holocaust?

The Holocaust in India is just a historical event and India has not been able to connect emotionally with the event.

Therefore, it is necessary to educate the youth all around the world including India about the Holocaust to help them to analyse the past injustices and create a just present.