In a significant comment, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Sunday talked about the distortion of history books in India, and condemned the “manipulated” and “selective” historical narratives in the textbooks. Addressing the 138th birth anniversary celebration of Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, Dhankhar said that India’s history has been manipulated and doctored to create a monopoly of few that claims they gained independence of India from British.
The vice president also said that people have been “taught very differently” about the foundations of India’s independence. He said, “Our history books have done injustice to our heroes. Our history has been manipulated and doctored, creating a monopoly of a few who are credited with gaining us independence. It is an unbearable pain on our conscience. It is a burden on our soul and heart”.
Dhankhar called for significant changes in historical narratives about India, adding that the commemoration of the first Bharat Sarkar established in in 1915 is a fitting occasion to discuss these issues. The vice president said that our history books have failed to recognise the heroic feats of Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh, calling him a natural diplomat, statesman, visionary, and nationalist.
He called this neglect a “travesty of justice” and highlighted the importance of rectifying historical misrepresentation to give due credit to those who laid the foundations of India’s independence.
He said, “a travesty of justice, what a tragedy. In the 75th year of our independence, we have failed-miserably failed-to acknowledge the heroic feats of great men like Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh. Our history has not given him the place he deserves. The foundations of our independence, built on the supreme sacrifices of people like him and other unsung or lesser-sung heroes, have been misrepresented.”
Jagdeep Dhankhar added, “Foundations of our independence are built upon supreme sacrifices of the people like Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh and other unsung heroes or not so well-sung heroes.” He expressed concern over the tendency of ignoring such nationalist heroes while writing history books, and said that we cannot allow our heroes to be downsized. Dhankhar further said, “We cannot nurture our history by indulgently crediting a few while marginalising others who played pivotal roles. It is imperative to present unvarnished historical accounts to inspire patriotic fervour in this generation and those to come.”
