Is it difficult to write 100-200 years old history faithfully and honestly in the Indian context? Contemporary history writing towards balanced historiography (5)

Is it difficult to write 100-200 years old history faithfully and honestly in the Indian context? Contemporary history writing towards balanced historiography (5)

The contemporary history writing and historiography: The problems and dangers in writing contemporary history have been pointed out by the European and American writers. They have been mostly delving upon the World War I and II and the ideological power struggle involved. How the war crimes and related problems have been dealt with by NATO and WARSAW ideologists, the economic blockades and fiscal sanctions. Incidentally, a Communist writer pointed out the danger in writing the contemporary history[1]. Another view can be read here that of Ramachandra Guha[2] and also his yet another version here[3]. However, in the Indian context, the Indians have to face contemporary historiographical attacks both from outside and as well as inside. They have been still facing physical and ideological attacks from many such ideological groups. They have been eloquent in blaming others, but, less constructive in giving ways and means positively for the betterment of India. As Indian historians and historiography have already been ideologized and working in groups, their writings cannot be unified, but giving different versions, but, ultimately the dominant version prevails and the weak slowly die down.

Do historians cover all historical subjects with ideology?: Indians include thousands of groups of people engaged in a variety of job, work and avocations. During the last 3000-2000-1000-500-100 years, definitely much has affected them in many aspects, the Indian society formed and existing has been with certain specific culture, tradition, heritage and civilization. The A to Z of duties and responsibilities[4] can be studied under different categories (these are given only for illustrative purposes and not exhaustive):

• Science, technology
• Mathematician, astronomer, geology, cosmology, cosmogony,
• Law, acts, rules, judiciary, jurisprudence
• Education, schools, colleges, universities, specialization
• Health, medicine, diseases, hospitals
• Agriculture, seeds, cereals, oil,
• Ores, metals, metallurgy, utensils, bronzes
• Cotton, silk, yarn, weaving, textiles,
• Cattle, milk, milk products
• House, house construction, materials
• Temple, construction, sculptures, artisans, sculptors, stone worker,
• Artist, painter,
• Food, cooking, preservation of food
• Ruler, king, emperor, dynasty, chieftain, politics,
• Tax, cannons of taxation, exemption, exports, imports,
• Boat, ship, building, inland water transport, oversea navigation

Historians, history-writer, historiographer, archaeologist, or any other related experts do not cover all the subjects.  They may call themselves as Marxist, pro-Marxist, anti-Marxist, subalternist, left, right, centre, nationalist, anti-nationalist, non-nationalist or any other expression, they have been arguing, counter-arguing, etc., for many decades, without concluding but going on blaming others.

The available contemporary evidences should be preserved: Definitely, the available contemporary and Indian evidences should be preserved:

• The Mail, The Hindu, Indian Express (English dailies), Swadeshamitran, Navamani, Dinathanthi, Dinamani (Tamil dailies), Kalki, Ananda Vikatan, Kumudam, Kalkanu (Tamil magazines) contain day to day news of 19^th and 20^th centuries. Therefore, all such dailies in e-format should be made available to the public and researchers.
• Accordingly, the events and news of 1900 onwards had been well recorded.
• Even old photographs and cine-films contain the then existence condition of popular places, roads, buildings etc., that may add more evidence for history writing.
• The narratives 70-80-90-100 years old people should be recorded immediately, before they leave us with data and information.
• Audi alteram partem meaning “listen to the other side”, or “let the other side be heard as well”. Hence, the all sides, both sides or the other side of the events could be known and analyzed.
• Knowing the facts, they should be allowed to record for the posterity.

How to get Indian history completely?: For convenience, and familiarity, the Madras presidency, Madras and Madras related events, personalities and issues have been taken up for discussion. In the same way, the problems and facts of each state, important city and local leaders can be taken up, so that the whole India would be covered and such narratives can be compiled for future generations:

• As Indians have been divided based on language, region, religion, ethnicity and other factors, they have been compartmentalized in groups.
• However, there have been celebrations, festivals, tirta-yatras, going on 24×7 basis -unite all Indians and they are not controlled by any ideology.
• The print and electronic media now exposes many interesting facts of celebrations, festivals and events to the viewers and they could understand how they are in common, though, the names and places differ.
• Naturally, Indian culture, tradition, heritage and civilization unite them in all such gatherings.
• That they are Hindu need not be a communal factor, but, historical and therefore, such interpretation should be stopped in historiography. The common people of India not only do not know such interpretation and they do not bother also.
• That majority of Indians has been carrying on their activities with all the 1000 years disturbances etc., prove some inherent resilience among themselves.
• Therefore, the criticizing historians, disparaging historiographers and condemning writers should recognize such intrinsic resistance, innate spirit, inborn confidence, or inbuilt strength.
• As the biographies, autobiographies of leaders, scientists etc., have been published, the history of others can also be published, so that the current and as well as the future generations know them.
• Time will decide, who will be remembered for long and forgotten.
• The responsibility of all writers, speakers and lecturers should be to unite Indians.

Regional separatism, linguistic enthusiasm and state exclusivism should not affect India’s unity and integrity: As crores of Indians living far away from each other, yet enjoy the food, music, cinema, and so many other common things, with the modern connectivities, they can still come together. As armed forces have such spirit, all Indians should have unified feelings. If the regional parties, leaders and ideologists still want to question the Indian unity and integrity in different way, they would be only misleading the people of the respective state. The central-state relations would also be affected with such confronting attitude and verbose. Thus, the fellow-Indians of other states also could get affected with such confronting states creating uncomforted conditions. However, now in modern times, Indians of all states have been united together in many ways. Their relationships have been there in every state. The IT and similar jobs have made them to go different parts of India and work. Thus, millions have already been settled in other states during the last 75 years and they have already been converted to local conditions, speaking local languages and following customs.

© K. V. Ramakrishna Rao

15-05-2024

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[1]  Rajani Palm Dutt, Problems of Contemporary History, 1963. Book published by Lawrence and Wishart (London, 1963).https://www.marxists.org/archive/dutt/1963/contemporary-history.htm

[2] Guha, Ramachandra. “The challenge of contemporary history.” Economic and Political Weekly (2008): 192-200.

[3] Ramachandra Guha, The Challenge of Contemporary History, Historia 54,1, Mei/May 2009, pp 112-128.

The author notes, “A somewhat different version of this article was published in the Economic and Political Weekly I am grateful to André Béteille, Sumit Guha, Mukul Kesavan, Sunil Khilnani, Srinath Raghavan, James Scott and two anonymous reviewers for their comments.”

[4] In Indian context, duty is always connected with responsibility, accountability and liability and therefore, the individual discipline is expected much that helps the growth of family and society.

Note- the graphics have been added to create awareness how anti-Indian forces, ideologists and writers have been working…..

Is it difficult to write 100-200 years old history faithfully and honestly in the Indian context? Importance events sidelined and ignored (3)

Is it difficult to write 100-200 years old history faithfully and honestly in the Indian context? Importance events sidelined and ignored (3)

Editing, expunging and expurging the speeches and writings of the leaders: Now, every political party wants to save India, particularly, the party that wanted to break away from India, too claims so. About the ideology of the DMK, such tendencies are well known, as C.N. Annadurai himself ignored “Dravidastan” to contest elections and become the Chief Minister of Tamilnadu. The pranks, prangs, brawls and speeches and writings of them have also been well-known, yet, they are held in esteem. Many of them could not be printed and thus, they are edited, filled up with dots…… or totally expurged. Vulgar, unbecoming, unparliamentarily, offensive, disparaging, derogatory and all other words and expressions can be added, but, they do not equal with what they talked and written. The moment, they expired, statues are raised and elevated to the level of godhead. Ironically, though, they have been atheists and talk ill of Hindu religon, as recently, the DMK Minster has done with, and the cases pending with the Supreme Court and High Courts[1], their statues are put up and venerated. One pro-Dravidian researcher has researched about “dirty words” in Tamil[2], but, he coolly ignored this historical prank. He reportedly visited foreign countries to collect details about the Dravidian leaders, as if, he could not get such details from the local sources, directly, as they have registered offices, printing press and back-issues of their official dailies and journals.

Historians, historiographers and history writers have to update their subject in consonance with the development of science and technology: Nowadays, a paper “History of Indian science and Technology” is added to the students of history, archaeology, anthropology and related subjects, but, for some reason the visits of these scientists to India, their connection with Indian counterparts and how India has been managing with them, in spite of USA-USSR and later international ideological ramifications etc., are not known. Definitely, these visits form part and parcel of Indian recent history and reading history without them cannot give a full picture about the position of India in global context, are not included. Every subject has to be updated and made to be useful to people, as consumerism demands such usage. Though, the political history alone is not enough or work with countries like India, very often historians, historiographers and history writers restrict them to such a limited area. There also, as pointed out, they aid and abet politicians, powerful political lobbyists and corporate, and therefore, the 100-200 years history suffer from such lacuna, drawback and disadvantage.

The leaders, dignitaries and VIPs visited Madras and Tamilnadu and the related events: As many VIPs have visited Madras, Tamilnadu, the related events and their significance can be explained. Many recent historical events can be recorded, elaborated and discussed, but not done. Some of them are listed out here:

• 1896 – Winston Churchill’s visit to Madras
• Ambedkar visits to Madras
• 1927 – whether EVR met Gandhi or not.
• 1939 – Subash Chandra Bose visit to Tamilnadu
• 1941 – Jinnah’s visit to Madras. the Muslim league’s 28^th session in the Madras People’s park.
• EVR role in Vaikom Satyagraha.
• 1952 – Potti Sreeramulu fast unto death in Madras
• Ramanujan working at the Madras Port Trust.
• Aurobindo in Tamilnadu.
• V.V. S.Iyer in Tamilnadu.
• How Rajaji differed from Nehru[3].
• 1961 – Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, made their first visit to Madras Then came in 1997.
• The visits of the great scientists to India – Neils Bohr, Norbert Wiener, PMS Blackett, Joseph Needham and JBS Haldane.

• According to his note in the Blackett Papers, Royal Society, Patrick Blackett visited India in 1947, 1948, 1950, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967 and 1971.
• 1952 – JBS Haldane was the key-speaker at the Indian Science Congress, 39^th session, Calcutta.
• 1953 – Dr. Norbert Wiener who visited the Ramanujan Institute of Mathematics in 1953.
• In December 1954, Professor Dirac, one of the greatest physicists of the 20^th Century, gave a lecture at the Senate House of the University of Madras.
• 1960 January – Neils Bohr visited Madras.
• Jan 1964 – Second Anniversary Symposium of MATSCIENCE and the visits of Professor Leon Rosenfeld (Niels Bohr Visiting Professor) and McCrea Hazlett (Provost, Univ. Rochester.

These are given just for illustrative purposes and not exhaustive, while many VIPs visited many cities in India during the last 100-200 years, historians, researchers and others do not bother about. Instead, new myths are created about the leaders. Some are discussed below. As language was given more importance by the Dravidologists, such related issues are taken up. It is well-known that the  Dravidlogists claimed separate state / country “Dravidastan” based on the Dravidian / Tamil language, to be carved out of India, just like Pakistan. However, the Telugu speaking people wanted Andhradesa within India. This is the main difference.

The claim over Madras and Tirupati: The two alternative political solutions suggested by Andhra leaders were to make Madras as joint capital of Andhra and Madras States or to divide the City, allowing the areas north of the river Cooum going to Andhra and areas south of the river going to Madras states, which did not find favour with Tamils or central leaders. C. Rajagopalachari (1878-1972), the then chief minister of Madras province, did not support Madras moving to Andhra State. On the Tamil peoples’ side M. P. Sivagnanam (Maposi 1906-1995) leader of a Tamil organization called Tamil Arasu Kazhagam agitated against Telugus’ claim organising rallies, meetings and dharnas etc., saying “talai koduttenum talainagaraik kappoom, vengadattai vitamattom” (We will protect and save the capital for Tamils even if we have to part with our heads, We will not give up our claim over Tirupati)[4]. With the demand of “Madharas manathe” movement, and the delay in the implementation of separate Andhra state, Potti Srimulu (1901-1952) started fast unto death[5]. The JVP (Jawahar, Vallabhbhai, Pattabhi) committee, headed by Jawaharlal Nehru, would not accept that proposal with the Andhra State. The Congress leaders opined that despite the entreaties of supporters who stated that retention of Madras was a futile cause. Nehru ignored it[6] and Rajaji too ironically did not care to take steps[7]. The difference between Nehru and Rajaji is not discussed generally by the historians and researchers.

© K. V. Ramakrishna Rao

15-05-2024

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[1] Udhayanidhi Stalin vs State of Maharashtra and Ors – similar cases pending in other courts also.

[2] A.R. Venkatachalapathy,   Dirty Words: A History of Swearing and Abuse in Tamil, Madras Institute of Development Studies, Chennai. This he presented at differet places including the 41^st session of APHC held at Anatapur in 2017.

[3] At Nehru’s invitation, in 1950, Rajagopalachari joined the Union Cabinet as Minister without Portfolio where   he served as a buffer between Nehru and Home Minister Sardar Patel and on occasion offered to mediate between the two. Following Patel’s death on 15 December 1950, Rajagopalachari was finally made Home Affairs Minister and went on to serve for nearly 10 months. As had his predecessor, he warned Nehru about the expansionist designs of China and expressed regret over the Tibet problem. He also expressed concern over demands for new linguistically based states, arguing that they would generate differences amongst the people. By the end of 1951, the differences between Nehru and Rajagopalachari came to the fore. While Nehru perceived the Hindu Mahasabha to be the greatest threat to the nascent republic, Rajagopalachari held the opinion that the Communists posed the greatest danger. He also adamantly opposed Nehru’s decision to commute the death sentences passed on those involved in the Telangana uprising and his strong pro-Soviet leanings. Tired of being persistently over-ruled by Nehru concerning critical decisions, Rajagopalachari submitted his resignation on the “grounds of ill-health” and returned to Madras.

[4] Maposi spearheadedthe counter movement, “தலை கொடுத்தேனும் தலைநகரைக் காப்போம், வேங்கடத்தை விடமாட்டோம்,” claiming Tirupati.

[5] Madrasi, also spelled as Madrassi, is a term used as a demonym and a regional slur for people from southern India, especially Tamil Nadu. In earlier usage it was a demonym to refer to the people of Madras Presidency, including the people of present-day Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and parts of Karnataka and Kerala, however this use of the term is now outdated. In present-day, the exonym Madrasi specifically refers to the people in living in Madras (officially called as Chennai), and the term Chennaite (or Chennaivasi) is the endonym for the people living in the city. Just like “Dravidastan,” this term has also restricted to be used for the people of Madras / Chennai.

[6] On 3rd December, Nehru wrote to Rajagopalachari: ‘Some kind of fast is going on for the Andhra Province and I get frantic telegrams. I am totally unmoved by this and I propose to ignore it completely.”

[7] Rjaji became the CM after the first legislative assembly Election to the Madras state based on universal adult suffrage that was held in 27 March 1952. This was the first election held in Madras state after the Indian Independence. This election was officially known as the 1951 Madras State Election, even though through delays, actual voting didn’t take place until early 1952.