Historians flay bid to communalise history

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, NOV. 6. Continuing their criticism of the BJP-led Government's alleged attempt to ``saffronise education'', eminent historians of the country today called for a movement to stop rewriting history without a ``scientific and secular approach''.

A galaxy of historians along with hundreds of their supporters, who gathered at a convention on ``Communalism of History'' organised by a socio-cultural organisation, SAHMAT, in New Delhi, accused the Government of pursuing a ``communalist ideology''.

The noted historian, Prof. Bipan Chandra, alleged that the Centre was playing on the fears of the minorities. Alleging that what was being brought out was a replica of the theoretical work of the RSS found in their pamphlets, Prof. Chandra said the upcoming history textbooks followed the British colonial history's principle of ``divide and rule''

Stating that for fundamentalists, education was the most natural way of spreading communalism, Prof. Bagchi said attempts were being made to ``naturalise communalism''. Fundamentalists were relying on muscle power and manipulating the media, he added.

Questioning the competence of persons aligned with the ``Hindutva history project'', Prof. Irfan Habib said not even a single historian would like to associate himself with the kind of history being promoted. ``Their concept of history is very dangerous to the country's unity.''

Denouncing the claim that the Aryans developed Vedic astrology and astronomy, Prof. Habib said they were developed in Mesopotamia and Iraq. While rewriting history, the so-called historians were not even differentiating between mythology and history, he added.

Prof. D.N. Jha, who is in the Central Board of Secondary Education's Committee of Courses, said the idea of updating syllabus was without perspective or chronology. Prof. Arjun Dev, Prof. Satish Chandra and Prof. K.N. Panikkar also opposed the ``communal agenda in education''.

A statement issued by SAHMAT said, ``The onslaught on history would not only communalise young minds and contribute to the undermining of the secular foundations of our polity, but would destroy the discipline of history itself.''

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Section  : National
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