There is something profoundly ironic about a civilisation becoming embarrassed by one of its oldest mirrors. For generations of Indian schoolchildren, the tiny bronze figurine from Mohenjo-daro was more than an archaeological curiosity. It was an introduction to the astonishing sophistication of the Indus Valley Civilisation. Barely 10 centimetres tall, adorned with bangles stacked along one arm, a necklace around her neck and an attitude that has outlived empires, the Dancing Girl stood as evidence that the people who built some of the world’s earliest cities also possessed confidence, artistry and a keen understanding of the human form. What she did not possess, however, was clothing.

That simple fact appears to have become intolerable to some modern custodians of education. The impulse to modify an ancient artefact to suit contemporary sensibilities reveals a peculiar contradiction at the heart of our educational culture. We routinely proclaim pride in India’s civilisational heritage. We speak of a 5,000-year-old continuum of knowledge, creativity and resilience. Yet when confronted with an authentic expression of that heritage that does not align with present-day notions of........

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