Madhya Pradesh Higher Education Minister Inder Singh Parmar has stirred controversy with claims that Indians discovered America centuries before Christopher Columbus, built temples in San Diego, and played a crucial role in developing the ancient Mayan civilisation.
Speaking at the convocation ceremony of Barkatullah University in Bhopal, Parmar asserted, "In the eighth century, Indians went to a place called San Diego (in California) and built temples there. The proof is there in an American museum and library." However, he did not specify which museum or library houses this evidence.
The minister's statements challenge conventional historical narratives. "Indians helped Mayan civilisation in development of America," Parmar declared, adding that Indians had turned America into a "capitalist economy." He also claimed that Indian merchants "have been doing business with the Americas since the 11th century."
Parmar introduced the name of an Indian sailor, Vasulun, whom he credits with reaching America in the 8th century. "If anyone had to write, they should have acknowledged that India's great sailor Vasulun reached there in the 8th Century and built many temples in San Diego," he stated.
The minister's claims extended to Indian maritime history. "Vasco da Gama had mentioned that a merchant named Chandan was sailing on the same route ahead of him. Chandan discovered India, and not Vasco da Gama," Parmar argued.
These statements were made in the context of criticising what Parmar termed "western education models." He asserted, "to rule the country (India) permanently, invaders systematically attacked way education policy of the country and ruined it."
Parmar expressed his intention to remove references to Columbus and Vasco da Gama from the syllabus. "It is established in history that Vasco da Gama did not discover India. We will remove it. India existed before Vasco da Gama came to this country, so the question of 'discovering India' does not arise," he declared.
The minister argued that the National Education Policy 2020 would address these perceived historical inaccuracies. "We are fortunate that in 2020, educationists come up with the National Education Policy and have taken resolve to build a modern and developed India towards making it 'vishwaguru'," Parmar stated.
Governor Mangubhai Patel and Chief Minister Mohan Yadav were also present at the event where these statements were made.
This is not the first time Parmar has made controversial statements. In February 2022, as school education minister, he triggered a political storm by saying hijab should be banned in schools. The then Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had advised ministers to "exercise restraint while speaking to the media" and stated that "No one should arbitrarily give comments on policy matters."
Parmar's recent claims about historical discoveries come months after Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, during his first address to the Madhya Pradesh assembly, claimed Ujjain was once the global standard for time. Yadav stated that his administration would work to reclaim this status from the Greenwich Meridian.
The minister's statements have been questioned in television and social media, given their departure from established historical timelines and lack of cited evidence. The city of San Diego, where Parmar claims ancient Indians built temples, was not founded until the late 18th century. Similarly, the Mayan civilisation, which he suggests Indians aided, flourished between 2600 BC and 1200 AD in Mesoamerica.
