History

Distortions in the syllabus of history books, an uncomfortable perspective

The normalisation of an everyday majoritarianism, Neo-Hindutva, has been facilitated by the silence of the Muslim liberal; an urgent challenge is being able to move out of the confines to reaffirm wider processes of secularization as a counter

Mahabodhi Vihar, Gaya: a conspiracy of silence across the political spectrum

Despite several months-long agitation for the management of the shrine to be handed over to Buddhists, none from the opposition parties, be it the INC, RJD, SP or TMC have leant any voice to this demand

Unity not Hate: Commemorating the 168th anniversary of 1857 War of Independence

On the eve of the 168th anniversary of this heroic battle, let not the far right, Hindutva regime undermine the unique heritage of collective sacrifice

‘Phule’: A Revolution on Screen

No other couple in human history has shown such a spirit filled with revolutionary ambition for change. That too in a stagnant society like that of India.

2025 NCERT Textbooks: Mughals, Delhi Sultanate out; ‘sacred geography’, Maha Kumbh in

 ‘NCERT has dropped all portions on Mughals from Class 7 Books. Students will now get to read about how Rajputs fought against nobody and lost!’ So, sarcastically wrote an ‘X’ user, Joy even as one more cut and slash action of the Modi 3.0 government with Indian social science/ history texts came to light; for the NDA II government this is only the latest in a long series of ad hoc deletions

Composite Indian Nationalism or ‘Two Nation Theory’

One of the greatest tragedies of South Asia has...

106th Anniversary of Jallianwala Bagh Massacre: Documents on Jallianwala Bagh massacre and people’s resistance buried at the National Archives

Revolutionary Udham Singh's choice of his alias, name of Mohammad Singh Azad was not a coincidence -- he chose it to underline the cardinal fact that India could be liberated only by a collective and united effort of all Indians

Bloodbath on Baisakhi: The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre, April 13, 1919

Ninety Seven Years Ago, one of the bloodiest actions of British Rule was the calculated massacre of close to 2,000 innocent Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims at the Jallianwala Bagh. The firing was ordered by an officer of the British colonial power, General Dyer. While the official figure for lives lost was 1,526 the actual figure was reportedly much higher

Tamas and the Shadow Over Empuraan: A Nation Still Disturbed With Itself

Tamas encountered legal and political challenges in the late 1980s. The government attempted to prevent the series from airing. There was fear it would provoke unrest. Now, if Empuraan disturbed us, it should, for who we are: a culture that justifies and forgets.

Jyotiba Phule’s Trenchant Critique of Caste: Gulamgiri

First Published on: 11 Apr 2016On his 189th Birth...

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