The 82nd Annual Indian History Congress began at Kakatiya University in Warangal on December 28, nearly 30 years after it first hosted the premier meeting of historians.
“Telangana is a land for revolt, rebellion that challenges the status quo. We have the legacy of Medaram Jatara, Komaram Bheem, peasant rebellion,” said Thatikonda Ramesh, the Vice Chancellor of Kakatiya University, which is hosting the meeting.
Indian History Congress represents a secular scientific approach to our past, said S.A.N Rezavi, the secretary of the IHC in his opening remarks. “We are passing through very difficult times. History is being reduced to mythology. The Indian History Congress has a great duty to arrest this situation which has been prevailing in our country for the past few decades,” he said.
“Today, other attempts are being made to disturb our past. To break our civilisation, to divide our people. I think our historians are fighting from the forefront. Types of histories are circulating in the market based on our beliefs. I hope and and wish all these members of IHC remember our contribution,” said Mr. Rezavi who teaches at the Aligarh Muslim University.
“We are the only organisation which has fought any onslaught towards the understanding of the past. During the Emergency imposed by one of the country’s Prime Ministers, it was only the Indian History Congress led by people like Bipin Chandra, Irfan Habib, Satish Chandra and other historians who opposed it leading from the front without worrying about what would happen to them,” said Mr. Rezavi.
“The cherished values of equity, equality, justice, secularism, humanism, democracy and civil liberties as embodied in the Constitution are being questioned by those who never had any faith in them in the first place or any role in their evolution,” said Mridula Mukherjee, formerly with Jawaharlal Nehru University, who was the Guest of Honour at the inaugural function.
“An aggressive and regressive hate-filled hegemonic nationalism is being imposed and substituted for our own homegrown indigenous humane, non-homogenising progressive nationalism bequeathed to us by Dadabhoy Naoroji, Sarojini Naidu and others,” said Ms. Mukherjee, as she recalled the role of Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Rajaji, Maulana Abul Kalam Azam for creating composite nationalism.
Aditya Mukherjee, who was earlier with the JNU, in his presidential address, spoke about the IHC’s role in the promotion of scientific, secular and anti-imperialist history over the past 85 years. The IHC will conclude on December 30 and has a panel on Dalit History as well as a Panel on Deccan Past and Present among others. A total of 1067 papers are set to be presented at the event.
