History is to be viewed from underside: It’s painful and injurious

History is generally defined as the interpretation of events that happened some time ago. It is all about cumulative account of events in a particular location and time. But what is important is to know who writes and interprets However, it not just interpretation of events, but involves much deeper rungs, because all these involves scientific and thus warrants inquiries that are multi-dimensional. Therefore, it is science of history. It is not just viewing from surface levels of interpreting events that happened, but delving deep to unearth the sagas of people.
In this endeavor perspectives and positions of the historians are important. History usually is viewed from definitive perspective and through the lens of the dominant with purpose. Those who were on the other side vis-à-vis dominated or victims hardly finds any space in the entire process. If it is one-side how can this be called as history and this is not history, because it is skewed, partial and parochial. Whether it is secular history or history of Christianity or whatever what we find generally is glorious part of the powerful and the dominant.
When I say ‘history is science’, it requires scientific inquiry going deep into the archives searching and finding out exactly what had happened by raising serious questions. Objectivity by all means is to be employed while conducting serious investigation. Take for instance the histories of different countries across the world. They have been unique and distinct in their own ways. When we bring to the fore the colonial histories of the countries of the colonies though there are some commonalities, but many divergences in terms of oppression, extraction and exploitation. What we find in common is that the colonisers did displace the indigenous people. The occupiers have pushed the indigenous communities or the native to the margins.
Interestingly, India’s past history has been chequered and highly volatile and complex. Taking those invades and in all those invasions many powers fought against each other in controlling a part or the entire country. Even after 75-years of India become republic we come across the disputes between Hindus and Muslims over the status of the mosque and temples. After Ayodhaya temple now the extremist Hindu organisations have approached the court saying that as many as 50 mosques are standing on the sites of temples.
Recently the apex court’s intervention the Smmbhal mosque case restoring the status quo ante seem to have given some relief for those who want to bury aside the hostiles between Hindus and Muslims on temple-mosque contestations leading to communal conflicts.
For the time being the verdict seem to be good, but for how long? The larger part in all such disputes and the violence that follows, is that at the root of these conflicts is history, which is told as a long reel of conquest and subjugation. Accounts of battles and empires ignites sentiments, create false memories, whether these be of valour, or of humiliation and revenge.
While interpreting history we are required to look at the dimensions and dig out thee deeply buried truth to the fore. On this, look at current conflicts within the country and outside. Manipur’s civil warfare involves not just the present one but if we go back to the past and stretch it little more to pre-colonia times, we might come across diverse claims. On similar lines, the Ukraine-Russia war has its historical roots which is in collision to the notions of the past. Russian empire right from USSR times show imperial and empire-building trends.
If we take the current ongoing Israel’s war on Palestinians, Zionists believe is a biblical-cum-historical claim of the land of Israel. Palestinians are not persuaded. The secular history claims that the State of Israel is an occupying power and colonial settlers’ project. How do you resolve it? Some of these keep pushing us to understand the history and the current conflict going on between Israel and the Palestinians? This time, it is Gaza paying the price of history.
Likewise, in India and Pakistan, the history books in the schools teach our common freedom struggle in different ways. We find quite often the conflict in the interpretations between Marxist and Hindutva historians in their writings especially when it comes to Hindu and Muslims emperors and their contributions. For example, Tipu Sultan who is commonly referred to as Sher-e-Mysore or ‘Tiger of Mysore’ was the ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore and the last Indian ruler in the 18th Century is being viewed differently by the political parties and even now the struggle goes on in their interpretations and standpoints.
Likewise, whether it is the portrayal of figures like Gandhi and Jinnah, or lately the controversy erupted in the Rajya Sabha on B.R. Ambedkar and quite often the reference to Savarkar or the views of the 1857 rebellion. Independence and Partition, each nation-state has its own ideology and understanding, which informs their interpretations and storytelling. These memories would continue to be simmering for a long time, but continues to be threatening and frightening one—certainly a section of society for long time. For instance, Britain and France have been on the same for a couple of centuries, but their rivalry continues and mutual scorn die hard.
On and off, we have been witnessing in the West, protests, street fights and toppling of statues of historical figures; disputes over textbooks that allegedly purports imperialist, colonial, racist past. History is always a play of perspectives that unfolds diverse standpoints justifying the writers’ ideological and political stance. We can never find reconciliation or peace or progress in litigating, but only gaslighting the abstract bygones. There are more intricate and complex threads that are interwoven with each other to be followed. History should offer the factual and objective interpretation what really happened and should push us which are more relevant to our times.
Many recent historical interpretations did base and thus explored human societies through objects and technologies, commodities like sugar and coffee, or horses or porcelain and many others. Today’s historical Mind field reveals that through the money or material one can understand the stories of power, plunders, money, oppression and exploitation. One thing is clear that we cannot settle the ongoing debates and contestations between evolution and creation, but we can explore our curiosity about the world right under our noses. This endeavours will go on as long as human mind and thirst for truth keep going after these.
Dr. John Mohan Razu