Seminar on Historiography of Nineteen Forty Seven organized in GNDU

Amritsar, March 10 (Punjab Post Bureau) – The History Department of Guru Nanak Dev University organized a one-day seminar on “Historiography of Nineteen Forty Seven” in the Conference Hall of Guru Nanak Bhawan of the University. A large number of scholars from all over India were participated and about 12 research papers were presented in this UGC sponsored seminar. Professor Mridula Mukherjee from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi presented key-note address. Prof. T.S. Banipal, Director Research presided over the inaugural session. Prof. Bir Good Gill, Organizing Secretary introduced the seminar theme and Prof. Amandeep, Director of Seminar welcomed the chief guest and other guests. Prof. Radha Sharma presented vote of thanks. “The Partition of Punjab in 1947 conveys human tragedy beyond imagination. It cost colossal human cost in the form of death, displacement and destruction”, said Professor Mridula Mukherjee while delivering her key-note address in the inaugural session. She deliberated upon his historiographical approaches on the Partition which were borne out of the processes of the Partition and these approaches include Imperialist, Nationalist, Communal, Marxist and Subaltern. She said that conservative imperial historiography denied India as a Nation. Lord Curzon had scorn of India National Movement. She said that Nationalist historiography underlined strength of India as a Nation. Marxist brought in peasants and workers as actors of history Subaltern historian looked at history with post-modern ideas. She said that Cambridge historians consider Indian struggle for favors, crumbs, power from the British Empire. However, she said that Mahatma Gandhi appealed to minds of the millions thus bringing Nationalism at the centre stage. The British blamed Indians for disorder during the partition as the Indians are said to have asked for the partition. Perry Anderson, Marxist thinker in his Indian ideology provides a bewildering account of the Partition. She expressed reservations of this position. She further argued that is continuity of imperialist historiography. Communal historiography also followed imperialist assumptions. She said that the British communalized and compartmentalized the Indians that led to chaos and division of India. She focused on Indian Nationalism as a unifying category. Subalterns like Gyanendra Pandey romanticized violence with taking into consideration the context that produced violence. The Partition was the culmination of long-drawn process and the failure of National forces to check this trend. Prof. Sucheta Mahajan, Dr. Monica Dutt, Prof. Salil Misra, Prof. Budh Parkash, Dr. Pippa Virdee, Prof. I.D. Gaur, Sukhmani Bal, Dr. Jasbir Singh, Prof. Jagmohan Singh, Dr. Raj Kumar and Prof. Gurcharan Singh Bal and other other scholars were present on this occasion.