Writer rues two extremes in interpreting history

Writer Amish Tripathi said there are two extremes in interpreting our history, which is unfortunate.

He was speaking on his book ‘Suheldev: Silent Hero of History,’ as part of the Mysuru Literature Festival 2020 on the eighth and last day on Saturday. The festival, virtual due to Covid-19 crisis, was held on weekends from August 14 to September 5.

Tripathi said, “One section is not even ready to speak frankly on the invasions and the sufferings at the hands of foreign invaders, while there is another section which blames the present-day people, fellow Indians, for the crimes committed by foreign invaders. While the former try to paint a rosy picture of the invaders, that they were great musicians, artists and writers who also patronised art and culture, the latter spew venom against our own fellow citizens. Thus, there is a need to tell the truth, plainly”.

“According to the book 'Who were the Shudras?' by B R Ambedkar, castes were neither birth-based nor rigid, even 1,500 years ago. Castes becoming rigid became a weakness for India as it promoted divisions, resulting in defeats in the hands of foreign invaders,” Tripathi said.