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Romila Thapar, The Past as Present: Forging Contemporary Identities through History, Aleph Book Company, New Delhi, 2014, 326 pages, Rs 595
The book is the latest endeavor by the thespian Indian historical writer Romila Thapar. It is an anthology of essays that cover a wide array of topics. It examines what 'History5 is to the public and how it contributes towards nation building; how it helps us build a national identity and understand who we are. This, the writer argues is, of pivotal importance in deciding, among other things, how we shape our future.
The writer takes the onus of inquiring critically into established notions of history. In doing so, she opens interesting debates with different standpoints. These debates examine not only age-old questions but also raise new ones. The answers doubtlessly, always were and still continue to be disputed and argued, but nonetheless allow us to understand the Nation State we are today, in a more objective light.
According to the author, national identities are a reflection on how societies are perceived to have evolved, and in order that the perception is not far removed from reality, it is imperative that history be evaluated and understood in a way that is reliable and leaves little or no room for error or doubt.
This book comes at a time when many versions of 'National Identity5 from fundamentalist to secular are being argued, often with underpinnings of 'bogus nationalism5. It allows the reader to take a balanced and accurate view of ourevolution, and the history that made it possible.
The first section of the book titled 'History and the Public5 contains six chapters. The first chapter deals with 'Interpretations of Early...