Kerala

Meet to debate attack on secular history

KANNUR: The legacy of the origin of Indian historiography as a debate between nationalism and imperialism will continue even in the 69th session of the Indian History Congress (IHC) that begins on the Mangattuparamba campus of Kannur University on Sunday, according to the organisers of the three-day conference of historians here.

IHC secretary B.P. Sahu and Shirin Moosvi who is in charge of publication wing of the IHC, said at a press conference here on Saturday that the three-day session would have serious deliberations on a large number of issues concerning historiography in the country, including attacks on secular history, irrational and communal interpretation of history and attempts to distort history. The IHC, which had been organising uninterrupted sessions since its inception, had always intervened whenever there were attempts to appropriate the past for purposes that would divide the people, they said adding that the IHC had never been a party to any endeavour to distort history.

Prof. Sahu of Delhi University and Prof. Moosvi of Aligarh Muslim University said that the country today had more secular and scientific approach to history. The IHC had a panel of language chan ge in Indian history, they said adding that the session would discuss history and history writing in the country.

They said that the IHC also had panels on tribals, social formations, women, science and technology. Many of the panel proceedings were being published in monographs, they added. The 69th session of the IHC, to be inaugurated by Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan here on December 28, will discuss resolutions seeking the Central government to transfer all archival documents in its possession to the archives.

The organisers of the IHC session here also announced the awards instituted by the IHC for best papers presented in the 68th IHC session in various categories.

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