As improbable as it may seem, in our country we seem to be practicing this feat for ages. We don't let the dead die and rest in peace. When will we ever stop living in the past and start looking at the future? Aurangzeb and Dara Shikoh, regardless of their points of view, are both dead. They don't impact our lives anymore. Instead, let%u2019s look at what we can achieve in the days to come. As Indians, rather than Hindus or Muslims. And frankly, where there are millions who go to bed hungry, the debate whether one dead king was good or bad seems rather inconsequential. Let's first solve the problems that are more pressing and alive. Then we can ponder over the dead and their deed till the end of time.
RE:How to bring the dead back to life
by ankur saraf on Feb 28, 2007 12:55 AM Permalink
To take the past and the future as two mutually exclusive entities is a delusionary exercise. As is the exercise of trying to pass on culpability of historical crimes to the present day. Only a fool would blame the germans of the day for the holocaust. However, the person who wants to forget that a holocaust ever happened would be an equal fool. Same is the case with Aurangzeb.
The very fact, that the 'eminent' historians twist history to their own Marxist agenda has to be contested. We can better progress to 2019 with a responsible understanding of our past, atleast the correct facts.
RE:RE:How to bring the dead back to life
by Unsung Humanist on Feb 28, 2007 01:29 AM Permalink
Agreed, the past and the future are definitely linked symbiotically. But you learn from the mistakes of teh past to ensure a better future. When you do a selective reading of the past to justify your misdeeds of the present, you cut a dangerous path to the future. Pop history formulated to excite in 1000 words is supposed to be applauded, while years of painstaking research is to be contested with a very convenient "Marxist" coinage. I wonder why your pop historians shy away from face to face debates with the "eminent" historians. Coz they are afraid to lose their three minutes of fame, thats why.
RE:RE:RE:How to bring the dead back to life
by Secular Indian on Feb 28, 2007 02:01 AM Permalink
In the last televise debate between Arun Shourie and an "eminent" historian was a farce. Where the best response that the eminent historian could come up with was a muttering of "questionable sources". When Arun Shourie pointed out that the sources where actually Aurangzeb's court records, it was essentially the end of the debate. It can't get more farcical than that. So please do us a favour and watcht that interview rather than debating like a lit. crit. grad.
RE:How to bring the dead back to life
by Bhaskar Chattopadhyay on Feb 28, 2007 06:59 AM Permalink
Koustav: Unless we learn from history, we are going to repeat the same mistake.
Why Secular fanatics and Islamic fundamentalists feel jitters when Aurangjeb's record is brought out?
While overwhelmingly India Muslims are of Indian origin, Aurangjeb was part of Invader dynasty and persecuted indigeneous people to sucg a ruthless level never seen in India before. Why Indian Muslims have objection to Aurangjeb? They are NOT same people.
Fact of the matter is: Because of Leftists pamper Islamists at a global level, we are seeing our Left ideologues oppose Aurangjeb's actual picture. Its as simple as that.
This has become very costly to India. NOT ONLY the country got divided because of Islamists insistence, we saw how non-Muslims completely thrown out from East & West Pakistan, Indian Kashmir.
Now we are entering into a situation WHEN EVEN VANDE-MATARAM WHICH SPARKED NATIONALISM IN INDIA IS BEING QUESTIONED.
THERE IS A LIMIT TO EVERYTHING. UNLESS THIS PAMPERING OS ISLAMIST FUNDAMENTALISM STOPS, WE ARE GOING TO SEE A HUGE PRICE COUNTRY PAY IN THE FUTURE.
RE:How to bring the dead back to life
by Perv Sharma on Feb 28, 2007 07:51 AM Permalink
Koustuv
A learned person like should atleast know that U can only solve a problem if you got the freedom. Earlier hindus lost it to muslims / brithishers and now may be to pak/america. So, at the moment the most pressing problem is to feed the indians, teach them about freedom as well.
Every person has a bad / good points. The most important point raised by Mahamta Gandhi is forgotten. He had said what point is this freedom if the common man doesn't undertand meaning of freedom and only gets concerned about food. He wanted to therefore educated every indian about freedom. No doubt he failed and U have modern politicians taking advantage of the same. U just can't solve the present without the knowing the past.
