NEW DELHI: The Delhi government on Monday signed an MoU with the Ambedkar University and launched an ‘Oral History Programme’ to record historical events from the memories of Delhiites — elites and commoners alike.
Delhi Archives, in collaboration with the Ambedkar University, will record 100 interviews of the city’s senior citizens in a span of two years.
With an objective to make knowledge more inclusive, the project, in its first phase, will include author-historian RV Smith, photographer Raghu Rai, musician and head of Dilli Gharana Ustad Iqbal Ahmed Khan, senior lawyer Ram Jethmalani and noted journalist Salma Sultan.
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said, “The elderly are a treasure trove of stories and the custodians of our history. Through common experiences and shared histories, people might realise we have more in common than what those wanting to polarise our society would want us to believe,” he said in a statement.
A panel discussion was held on “Oral History in the City: Potential and Possibilities”. Noted historians S Irfan Habib and RV Smith, professor at Ambedkar University Denys Leighton, archivist Usha Purie and researcher-historian Sohail Hashmi attended the event.
With PTI inputs