Indian Council of historical research, which has been under the grip of communists and JNU historians gets a new chief, who values indian traditions and civilization and its continuity. Let us hope he succeeds in correcting the twists and anomalies that have deliberately introduced in our history knowledge and curriculum.
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New Delhi, July 2: A retired history professor who has written articles arguing that stories from the Ramayan and the Mahabharat are truthful accounts of events that took place has been named chief of the ICHR, the government agency to promote historical research.
Yellapragada Sudershan Rao, whose interests include Vedic literature, Sanatana Dharma and Bharatiya Sanskriti, set the tone for his three-year tenure after taking charge on Saturday.
Under his leadership, the Indian Council of Historical Research, he told The Telegraph, should take up projects to rewrite ancient history to establish the “continuous Indian civilisation”, including the period of the two epics.
“A lot of historical material has come through cultural, anthropological, archaeological and ethnographic studies in the last 60 years about the continuous Indian civilisation. The findings can be compiled by researchers. I think the ICHR should support historians interested in doing work on these aspects,” he said.
The latest excavations conducted after a court directive at the Ramjanmabhoomi site some years ago did reveal ruins of a basement of a big-columned monument on which the Babri mosque was built. Stone pillars and door-jambs with Hindu motifs used in the construction of the mosque were also found, as were images of Hindu deities below the ground at the disputed site.
“Even during R.S. Sharma’s tenure, they were using Marxist tools. Cultural aspects were not given attention. History should be comprehensive, not driven by any political thought,” Rao said.
By Marxist tools, Rao said, he meant studies entirely focused on the analysis of economic and material aspects, not culture, art or religion.
The new ICHR chief said a lot of archaeological material and literature were stored in archives in other countries and the agency should take the initiative to get at least copies of such works. Rao said he has not been associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh but loves the country and nationalist ideas. “I love the country and the culture. As a historian, I feel that history should tell people about their culture and civilisation.”
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1140703/jsp/nation/story_18576515.jsp#.U7zHMJSSyls
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New Delhi, July 2: A retired history professor who has written articles arguing that stories from the Ramayan and the Mahabharat are truthful accounts of events that took place has been named chief of the ICHR, the government agency to promote historical research.
Yellapragada Sudershan Rao, whose interests include Vedic literature, Sanatana Dharma and Bharatiya Sanskriti, set the tone for his three-year tenure after taking charge on Saturday.
Under his leadership, the Indian Council of Historical Research, he told The Telegraph, should take up projects to rewrite ancient history to establish the “continuous Indian civilisation”, including the period of the two epics.
“A lot of historical material has come through cultural, anthropological, archaeological and ethnographic studies in the last 60 years about the continuous Indian civilisation. The findings can be compiled by researchers. I think the ICHR should support historians interested in doing work on these aspects,” he said.
The latest excavations conducted after a court directive at the Ramjanmabhoomi site some years ago did reveal ruins of a basement of a big-columned monument on which the Babri mosque was built. Stone pillars and door-jambs with Hindu motifs used in the construction of the mosque were also found, as were images of Hindu deities below the ground at the disputed site.
“Even during R.S. Sharma’s tenure, they were using Marxist tools. Cultural aspects were not given attention. History should be comprehensive, not driven by any political thought,” Rao said.
By Marxist tools, Rao said, he meant studies entirely focused on the analysis of economic and material aspects, not culture, art or religion.
The new ICHR chief said a lot of archaeological material and literature were stored in archives in other countries and the agency should take the initiative to get at least copies of such works. Rao said he has not been associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh but loves the country and nationalist ideas. “I love the country and the culture. As a historian, I feel that history should tell people about their culture and civilisation.”
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1140703/jsp/nation/story_18576515.jsp#.U7zHMJSSyls
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