Close on the heels of the >resignation of Sabyasachi Bhattacharya , Chief Editor of Indian Historical Review , in April, Y. Sudershan Rao, Chairman of the Indian Council of Historical Research, publisher of the prestigious journal, has disbanded its advisory committee.
Romila Thapar, Satish Chandra, Irfan Habib, Muzaffar Alam and 17 more internationally renowned scholars were in the committee.
Historians say the decision, taken on Tuesday, has robbed the journal of its sheen. Gopinath Ravindran, member-secretary of the council, is learnt to have objected to the decision and questioned the rationale for the sudden change.
Sources in the council say no reasons were offered for the summary dismissal of the committee. Asked about his future course of action, Mr. Ravindran, who was appointed by the previous government, refused to comment. A member, it is learnt, spoke rudely when questions were raised about the decision taken at a time when the journal was doing well and had even turned profitable.
“Sage Publications had started paying royalty to the ICHR last year after a slump in circulation, which lasted from 1997 to 2008. This is a deliberate attempt to obfuscate matters by making the members of the council also double up as the advisory members to the journal,” B.P. Sahu, former council member, academic, said. “The purpose of the advisory committee was to look far and wide for good research papers which could be published in this peer-reviewed journal.” He said the mandate of the publication would now be limited by confining the task to 18 council members.
Mr. Bhattacharya resigned over differences in the historical approach to the writing of history. The impact of the sweeping changes brought about by Mr. Rao will be felt only next June as much of the work for this year has been done.
