History is a politicised commodity, not a matter of inquiry: Manu S. Pillai

Historian Manu S. Pillai discusses the politicization of history and its impact on society at a lecture event.

Historian Manu S. Pillai has said that history is a politicised commodity, and not merely a matter of academic or general inquiry.

He was delivering a lecture titled ‘What is history?’ in memory of DC Kizhakemuri, the founder of DC Books, at an event to mark the golden jubilee of the publication here on Thursday.

Mr. Pillai said that in a diverse society, there can never be just one prism through which the world could be viewed. Taking the example of colonialism, he said that it had been a violent repressive process around the world. “It has demolished native institutions, redrawn lines on the map, cut up communities, caused serious crises of identity, and the pain it leaves on its wake can often last generations. We, for instance, gained freedom in 1947, but even now live with big and small colonial influences. But equally, colonialism also brought in dynamics that resulted in what we might call constructive change,” he said.

Mr. Pillai said that in many ways, it forced Indians to introspect, reflect, and discard elements of their own culture that were patently problematic. “It was under colonial rule that Dalits, for example, were able to access modern education and organise themselves in potent new political ways.” Gandhiji discarded the white man’s three-piece suit to dress like an Indian peasant, making a powerful political statement this way.

“But, [B.R.]Ambedkar did the reverse, he wore and flaunted the suit, because to him as a Dalit, it was a sign of empowerment. Gandhiji had the privilege and social capital to discard European garments for the loincloth. Ambedkar’s ancestors had no option but to wear the loincloth. For him, the suit represented not imperialism, but a sense of dignity,” Mr. Pillai said. He pointed out that history mattered because it was everywhere, in the shape of cities, in the structure and design of buildings, in the fabric that people wear, in the languages they speak, and even in their emotional lives and experiences.

Writers N.S. Madhavan, K. Satchidanandan, and Ravi DeeCee, among others, were present.