ABP Ideas Of India: History should be all inclusive so that there is no denial but truth and reconciliation. That was the message upheld at the session titled, 'Excavating the past | India’s History: Change or continuity?', during ABP Network’s ‘Wild Stone presents Ideas of India Summit’ in Mumbai on Saturday.
“During the medieval period, when India was invaded by outside forces, there are stories about native resistence to the conquests for 500 years. But the brutality of those conquests, the loot have been left out from history books. I think these unpleasant facts need to be told so that there is truth and reconciliation among all,” Makarand R Paranjape, author and academician said at the session chaired by veteran journalist Vir Sanghvi.
He added: “Controlling narratives do not work, especially for text books. If you look at some of the NCERT text books, there is so much distortion of facts. For example, it is not mentioned how Qutub Minar, a victory monument was actually built on the ruins of temples. The Congress-dominated narrative which was there for 60-70 years was very divisive. Very few people knew that Shivaji had Muslim soldiers fighting in his army.”
Sudheendra Kulkarni, author and socio-political activist, said, “If history is used to divide society, it is pernicious. If it is studied to see mistakes, then it is a path towards reconciliation. “We cannot blame today’s Muslims for wrongs committed by invaders and fanatics centuries ago. All over the country, there is a systematic campaign to malign or blame Muslims.”
Paranjape made a strong argument that the "burden of peace and reconciliation cannot be entirely on Hindus alone".
“Why can’t there be a conclave by Muslim ulemas condemning attacks on Hindus and temples? That will be the beginning of a reconciliation process.”
Kulkarni agreed. “Islam has been misused for terrorism and extremism. This must be condemned by Muslim ulema."
He added: “The principles that have guided India’s history for 5000 years change with continuity. But political parties are using it for further their divisive agenda. When a popular iconic figure says on a public forum that India got true independence in 2014, it is disregarding contributions made by generations towards building a self-reliant India. Continuity is discarded and that is great disservice to history.”
'If Islam fanaticism is wrong, so is Hindu fanaticism'
Kulkarni, who quoted Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya in his opening remark, said democracy, socialism and world peace can be reconciled. “India has welcomed every culture, religion, race and made its own. We have had invaders who plundered our country. But India’s innate strength has helped assimilate everyone. Barbar was an invader but Bahadur Shah Zafar was as Indian as Rani Lakshmi Bai. He led the war against the British. Unfortunately, BJP today is not following the guiding principles of their ideological guru, Upadhyaya, and is creating artificial controversies," he said.
Referring to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s recent remarks during his poll campaign about 80 per cent and 20 per cent division, Kulkarni asserted, “This polarisation of India has no place in any Idea of India, and has to be rejected. Divisive politics has to end.”
“We are in the middle of a history war,” cautioned Paranjape, and added: “It is part of a larger culture war of India. Today we are at the cusp of history where there is a Hindutva history. Hindutva need not always be divisive. Hindutva historians are trying to open the field. There was a constellation of people who contributed towards our Independence Movement – it didn’t have one hero or one heroine like Ramayana. It followed the Mahabharata model. Hindutva historians say that people like Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, Savarkar didn’t get their due.”
Kulkarni said he doesn’t condemn Hindutva as a fascist force. “I disagree with certain aspects but I agree that it is an integral part of our history. What we need today is dialogue between forces of Hindutva and those opposing it. If Islam fanaticism is wrong, so is Hindu fanaticism,” he said.
Kulkarni added: “We must study history or else we are vulnerable to commit mistakes of the past. But we should not study history to create controversies and divide society. If we divide, India will become weak and we cannot fight our common problems like poverty, underdevelopment and deprivation. We should approach history critically but with a constructive mind."
Paraanjanpe dvelved into the importance of remembering the past.
“People remember the past in many ways – through legends, myths and family narratives. History is also one way to remember the past. It is not the only way to reconstruct the past. When you open the door, you get a richer understanding. The road to the future goes through the past. So past has to be revisited. But it should be done so by upholding values of decency and dialogue,” he said.
To this, Kulkarni said, “The past is important. But it should not be excavated. It should be studied with candour and opennesss. Focus should be on the future."
He concluded his remarks quoting Sri Aurobindo. "Pride in the past, concern for the present and lofty dreams of the future," he said, and added that this can only happen when "we are all united irrespective of religion backgrounds and political affiliations".
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ABP Network’s two-day 'Wild Stone presents Ideas of India' Summit brings thought leaders from various fields — culture, sports and cinema to technology, business and politics — talk about the journey of India so far.