Distortion of History a Terror of Different Nature: Indian Historians
Highlights By: Balbir Singh Sooch-Sikh Vichar Manch
Indian History Congress
HIGHLIGHTS:
1. Former history professor at Delhi University, KM Shrimali said the RSS and BJP will divide the nation on religious grounds: “It is a matter of concern that the space for reason and debate is shrinking in India. We have never witnessed such a disturbing trend. Those with little knowledge about history are trying to fabricate and thrust their idea. It is a terror of a different nature,” the former history professor of Delhi University told PTI. HT Updated: Jan 01, 2018 15:26 IST
2. History is a discipline of reason and cannot be written with fabricated truths.
3. Former history professor at Delhi University, KM Shrimali said historians don’t need to take lessons on nationalism from those “who had surrendered before the British during the Independence movement”.
4. He also said that the party in power is trying to obliterate the contributions and legacies of the Mughal Empire. He, however, expressed confidence on the “functioning of the minds” of Indian people in their attempts to resist fabricated history.
5. Shrimali’s view found resonance in eminent historian Irfan Habib, who said history depends on “events of facts” and any attempt to invent facts will be treated as fiction.
6. Slamming the rising political intolerance and the recent killings of rationalists Narendra Dabholkar, Govind Pansare and M M Kalburgi, Habib said an atmosphere of fear is prevailing in the country, where these murders are grisly-grusome, horrible reminders of an ongoing campaign against the freedom of thought, speech and expression.
Full Text:
7. Former history professor at Delhi University, KM Shrimali, said the RSS and BJP will divide the nation on religious grounds. History is a discipline of reason and cannot be written with fabricated truths. INDIA Updated: Jan 01, 2018 15:26 IST: Press Trust of India, Kolkata.
8. The sole agenda behind the RSS-BJP trying to rewrite history is to create a Hindu nation, where minorities are treated as second-class citizens, KM Shrimali said.
9. The sole agenda behind the RSS-BJP trying to rewrite history is to create a Hindu nation, where minorities are treated as second-class citizens, KM Shrimali said.(YouTube.com)
10. Attempt made to “fabricate and distort history” is a terror of a different nature, general president of Indian History Congress KM Shrimali said, expressing concern over the shrinking space for reason and debate in the country.
11. The sole agenda behind the RSS-BJP trying to rewrite history is to create a Hindu nation, where minorities are treated as second-class citizens, he said.
12. “It is a matter of concern that the space for reason and debate is shrinking in India. We have never witnessed such a disturbing trend. Those with little knowledge about history are trying to fabricate and thrust their idea. It is a terror of a different nature,” the former history professor of Delhi University told PTI.
13. The RSS and the BJP are determined to divide the nation on religious grounds, Shrimali said, adding that history is a discipline of reason and cannot be written with fabricated truths, imagination or myth-making.
14. Reason and debate have become the biggest casualties in the Sangh Parivar’s interpretation of history, the former professor rued.
15. “There are ways of understanding mythology... Not everything which is part of mythology is history... But you don’t enter into arguments, you try to bully people. That’s not the way to write history,” he said.
16. The historian also explained that Hindutva and Hinduism are different concepts with the former being a political ideology.
17. Shrimali said Hindutva is being used as a tool to access power. The uproar over Ayodhya temple and the film, ‘Padamavati’, is aimed at consolidation of Hindu votes.
18. Reacting to a RSS-BJP criticism that a distorted version of history is being taught in India by the “Left and liberal historians”, Shrimali said historians don’t need to take lessons on nationalism from those “who had surrendered before the British during the Independence movement”.
19. He also said that the party in power is trying to obliterate the contributions and legacies of the Mughal Empire. He, however, expressed confidence on the “functioning of the minds” of Indian people in their attempts to resist fabricated history.
20. Shrimali’s view found resonance in eminent historian Irfan Habib, who said history depends on “events of facts” and any attempt to invent facts will be treated as fiction.
21. Slamming the rising political intolerance and the recent killings of rationalists Narendra Dabholkar, Govind Pansare and M M Kalburgi, Habib said an atmosphere of fear is prevailing in the country, where these murders are grisly-grusome, horrible reminders of an ongoing campaign against the freedom of thought, speech and expression.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee:
22. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee addresses the special inaugural session of the 78th Indian History Congress, at Nazrul manch in Kolkata on December 29, 2017:
23. Over the past two days, country’s foremost historians have expressed deep anxiety about trends they described as “distortion of history.” Continuing with the argument of the historians, Ms. Banerjee said she too was “apprehensive”. Without naming any party or individual, Ms. Banerjee said, “when political parties starts writing history, my apprehension is whether this history [could be] distorted as political history; [it] can satisfy one but it is not history.”
24. “These days we hear that Mahatma Gandhi is not a patriot but Nathuram Godse was one… but it appears as political vendetta to me,” she said.
25. She also questioned if it was “reasonable” to commission any non-historian to write the history. “My job is to address rallies and I cannot write history. It is the job of the scholars and the historians. Problem is those who do not even know the ABC of history [are writing it]… this is alarming for the future generation,” she said.
26. She also questioned if it was “reasonable” to commission any non-historian to write the history. “My job is to address rallies and I cannot write history. It is the job of the scholars and the historians. Problem is those who do not even know the ABC of history [are writing it]… this is alarming for the future generation,” she said.
27. “I’m always in favour of history and truth. To distort fact is nothing less than a crime and my request [is to treat] history as history and not to make it a mystery,” Ms. Banerjee said.
28. Today I (West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee)attended the session of the 78th Indian History Congress being held in Kolkata, at Nazrul Mancha.
(i) It was indeed a wonderful opportunity to spend some moments with scholars, academicians and students.
(ii) I am very proud of our historians.
(iii) History teaches us to link the past, present and future.
(iv) History is truth and history cannot be distorted and fabricated.
(v) I salute all the historians, history scholars, researchers and students of the whole world and our beloved country.
(vi) I congratulate Jadavpur University for organising the present session of the History Congress after a lapse of 43 years.
(vii) We are proud of Jadavpur University.
(viii) Today I have announced our government’s intention of extending financial grant to the tune of Rs 100 Crore to Jadavpur University if they come up with a proposal of setting up of a Centre of Excellence for higher studies in humanities, engineering and sciences.
(ix) Sanction order of Rs 5 Crore for various capacity building initiatives was handed over to the University today itself.
(x) I have also given proposal to set up a History Record Commission by the state government, which will be a first time endeavour by any state government.
My best wishes to all.
Mamata Banerjee
December 29, 2017 at 7:42 PM (IST)
29. It is further worth to add and related: ‘Be Truthful To Journalism’ for ‘To Be Truthful To the History’ By Learned Harish Khare, Editor-in-Chief of The Tribune Group of Publications http://www.sapulse.com/new_
Highlights Forwarded by: Balbir Singh Sooch-Sikh Vichar Manch