Vice President, M. Venkaiah Naidu said historians should be committed to truth and called for an ‘objective re-evaluation of Indian history through fact-based research. Stressing the need for greater academic rigor in historical research, he cautioned against “selective or incomplete accounts of Indian history”.
He said that retelling historical facts through an ideological viewpoint will provide a distorted view, as was done under the colonial rule. Instead, he urged historians to strengthen ‘scientific writing of history with the help of specialized bodies like the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR).
He was participating in the valedictory function of the Golden Jubilee year of the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR), organized by the Ministry of Culture. He also inaugurated an exhibition on ‘Freedom Struggle of India’ by ICHR on the occasion.
Naidu also called for greater research on unsung Indian heroes of the freedom struggle, many of whom were ‘limited to mere footnotes in history books’. As part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, he said, their individual stories must be documented to reveal their ‘pain, struggle and the great pride with which they fought for the motherland. ‘Untold history must be told’, he said.
Even on popular heroes, Naidu suggested that historical research must delve deeper into different aspects of their personalities in a more comprehensive manner. He stressed the need for studying tribal and peasant revolts in various parts of the country in greater detail to understand the ‘unflinching courage of the ordinary masses who fought the British without any organizational backing’.
Naidu observed that there are many people who fought in different parts of the country against the British, and that all of them are ‘national heroes’ ‘It is our duty—our highest patriotic mission to remember the supreme sacrifices made by our freedom fighters and their noble struggle to wrest independence from colonial rulers’, he added.
