LUCKNOW: BJP national president and Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday called for a Indian perspective to writing history, saying had it not been for Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, the first war of independence in 1857 would have been reduced to just a ‘revolt’.
“The revolt was a British view. Had it not been for Savarkar, we would have been stuck with the British viewpoint as history,” said Shah, while inaugurating a two-day international seminar on Guptvanshak Veer-Skandagupt Vikramaditya at the Benares Hindu University.
“It is my view that there is a need to rewrite Indian history from India’s viewpoint without blaming anyone,” he said adding, “It’s our responsibility. How long do we blame the British and Left writers? Let’s not dispute anyone but only write the truth which will stand the test of time.”
The views came amidst controversy over BJP suggestions of honouring Savarkar’s memory with a Bharat Ratna.
Reminding the vast congregation of historians, scholars and political thinkers from all over India and abroad that the Gupta era was cited as a golden era, he said it was high time to remember and document 200 historical figures and 25 empires which were treated unfairly by historians in the past.
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Shah regretted that today’s generation was unaware of the contributions of Guptas because of lack of documentation. “Skandagupta fought and won the war which even Rome lost against the Huns. He re-formulated revenue collection method, administration and municipality.
Literature, military, culture and art were world-class during this period even as he cleared invaders from Kashmir to Kandahar. We cannot forget his contributions,” he said.
Shah also dwelt spoke on the political future of the nation, praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi for regaining respect for India globally.“Respect for the country has increased under him. The world pays attention to our point of view. The world listens when our PM speaks on international developments,” Shah said.
He also paid tributes to Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya, the founder of BHU, saying that whatever be his thought behind establishing the university, “Hindu dharma and Sanskriti” has been propagated by it even after so many years.
“After hundreds of years of slavery, it was very difficult for any person to reinstate India’s pride and only a BHU could have done this,” he said.