COVER STORY
In the name of ‘rationalisation’, NCERT seems to have adopted a method of hasty deletion. Passages have been reduced, quotes cut and exercise boxes flung out. But was it really done in haste?
Outlook Magazine - 4 July 2022
History cannot be changed. It can be written, re-written and revised to change the way we look at the past. But can rewriting history undo the wrongs of the past, real or imagined? The story of our times, in opinion pieces and news reports...
The BJP, with its insistence on the purity of Hindu Rashtra, would sadly reduce the soaring generosity of their founding vision to the petty bigotry of majoritarian chauvinism.
We don’t need to excavate the acrimony of the past. Rather, we need to be honest about it, accept it and move beyond it. A country that needs to reconcile with history and build a modern republic can't again be held hostage to the past.
In 1982, a group of historians set out to establish the Subaltern Studies Group to reclaim the histories of those without voices. In the decades since, an oft-asked question is—why can’t subaltern history be a part of mainstream history?
More and more people believe that we have not been told the truth. Or rather, that what we have been told is not true enough.
Raj and Uddhav Thackeray have been hostile to each other for decades, but slowly, the Maharashtra CM appears to be pulling away from his mercurial cousin in public esteem
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla expresses concern over falling standards of parliamentary debate, a great Indian tradition, while asserting that he has always strived for consensus between House members through dialogue.
As our relationship with nature continues to fall apart and the number of climate refugees grow, artists and writers provide empathy to make sense of these times.
To counter misinformation, artist Nandita Kumar creates a parallel universe of truth. In her 40-ft-scroll installation, titled 'Paradigm to Paradigm: Into the Biomic Time', names are ‘cancelled’ and truth is weaned out of 91 such spoken ‘lies’ by world leaders
Historiography under previous governments can, and should, be contested. But history that’s being rewritten under the present government is not merely to eulogise some leaders, but also, and more worryingly, to condemn several chapters of the past.
The BJP, with its insistence on the purity of Hindu Rashtra, would sadly reduce the soaring generosity of their founding vision to the petty bigotry of majoritarian chauvinism.
We don’t need to excavate the acrimony of the past. Rather, we need to be honest about it, accept it and move beyond it. A country that needs to reconcile with history and build a modern republic can't again be held hostage to the past.
In 1982, a group of historians set out to establish the Subaltern Studies Group to reclaim the histories of those without voices. In the decades since, an oft-asked question is—why can’t subaltern history be a part of mainstream history?
More and more people believe that we have not been told the truth. Or rather, that what we have been told is not true enough.
Raj and Uddhav Thackeray have been hostile to each other for decades, but slowly, the Maharashtra CM appears to be pulling away from his mercurial cousin in public esteem
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla expresses concern over falling standards of parliamentary debate, a great Indian tradition, while asserting that he has always strived for consensus between House members through dialogue.
As our relationship with nature continues to fall apart and the number of climate refugees grow, artists and writers provide empathy to make sense of these times.
To counter misinformation, artist Nandita Kumar creates a parallel universe of truth. In her 40-ft-scroll installation, titled 'Paradigm to Paradigm: Into the Biomic Time', names are ‘cancelled’ and truth is weaned out of 91 such spoken ‘lies’ by world leaders
Historiography under previous governments can, and should, be contested. But history that’s being rewritten under the present government is not merely to eulogise some leaders, but also, and more worryingly, to condemn several chapters of the past.
OTHER STORIES
CBSE books on Knowledge Tradition and Practices of India are a must-read for history lovers. These books give a true and faithful account of Indian civilisation and India’s achievements over the centuries.
A new generation of historians are bringing the subject out of the shadow of Marx and Nehru, fulfilling its role of restoring civilisational pride among Indians.
Do filmmakers have the right to present falsehoods in biopics and high-profile films under the guise of truth?
The film industry is increasingly aligning with those in power, given the jingoistic and communal undertones in recent releases
Our history books have to do justice to every region of India — but only for the sake of truth and for acquiring a balanced knowledge of our great land
Establishing the existence of the mythical river is key to the Hindu nationalist project of validating their origin story
For the Northeast, it’s not about rewriting history. It’s about their history being heard in mainland India. It is about not having to prove their Indianness over and over again.
The once mighty River Yamuna is an odious stream of slag as it crosses Delhi, rendered listless by the burden of modernity carelessly jettisoned into its body.
At times I feel sad and uprooted. But more often than not, I feel liberated, knowing well that I am not tied to any one place like my mother is.
