Months after Delhi University decided to stop the use of Hindi translation of the late historian Bipan Chandra’s popular book on modern Indian history as a reference book for students, the Indian History Congress has passed a resolution in favour of the book.
The university had red-flagged the book claiming that it denigrated revolutionary freedom fighters like Bhagat Singh as “terrorists.” The resolution, however, underlines that Bhagat Singh chose to call himself “revolutionary terrorist,” a term that did not have a pejorative meaning in those days.
Specious charge
“The country was shocked when a book written by one of India’s best known historians, Professor Bipan Chandra, India’s Struggle for Independence , which was translated into Hindi and published by the University of Delhi’s Hindi Implementation Board on the recommendation of the Department of History, has been ordered out of publication on the specious charge that the book denigrates national heroes like Bhagat Singh by describing them as terrorists,” the resolution passed days back at the History Congress’ Thiruvananthapuram session said.
“The book describes them as revolutionary terrorists, making it clear that no pejorative meaning was intended in using the word ‘terrorists’, a description Bhagat Singh and his associates used for themselves.”
Demanding that the “virtual ban” on the book be revoked, the History Congress added that such “stifling” of scholarly work should not be allowed in future.
‘ICHR going slow’
The History Congress expressed displeasure over the Indian Council of Historical Research “going slow” on some volumes of the Towards Freedom project, which are yet to be published. Among these is Volume-III of 1947 compiled by historian Sucheta Mahajan and Volume-II of 1941 compiled by historian Arjun Dev.
The project aims at bringing out the documents of the period leading up to freedom.
“It appears that the ICHR is going slow on the project with volumes in the press being put in cold storage for more than three years in the case of Volume-III of 1947, while Volume-II of 1941 has been ready for more than a year,” the resolution said. “The IHC expects that these will be brought out as early as possible ...”
