The Past as Present Forging Contemporary Identities Through History

Romila Thapar

Aleph Book Company

344 pages, Rs 595

“From the point of view of archaeology and history, the Archaeological Survey of India was correct in stating that there is to-date no conclusive evidence to prove the historicity of Rama.” The past is often used by politicians and religious fundamentalists to legitimise the present. In her new collection of essays, Romila Thapar, one of India’s greatest historians, argues for the need to carefully and rigorously interpret our past if our present is to be accurately understood. This is an important and necessary book at a time when religious fanaticism, strident nationalism and the rewriting of history are increasingly becoming the order of the day.