History must be retold, not re-invented, for each new generation: P. Sainath

In a discussion laced with sarcasm, Mr. Sainath took a dig at the government website celebrating 75 years of independence for not having any quotes from freedom fighters or any mention of British colonialism

History needs to be retold for each generation as new evidence or knowledge comes up, but rewriting should not involve inventing history, author and columnist P. Sainath, who is also a former Rural Affairs Editor of The Hindu, said on Saturday.

He was speaking at The Hindu Lit for Life 2023, during a discussion of his latest book The Last Heroes: Foot Soldiers of Indian Freedom. It is people’s duty to remember and embrace the freedom struggle for it is a magnificent and romantic chapter of Indian history, he said.

Raising questions on who actually led India’s freedom struggle, Mr. Sainath noted that the book was written for a younger generation that has been robbed of its history. But while history needs to be retold for this new generation, it should not be re-invented, he cautioned.

This is Mr. Sainath’s second book in over two decades, and has a theme vastly different from his first book dealing with poverty in rural India, noted independent journalist Kavitha Muralidharan, who introduced the author at the event.

Taking a dig at the government website celebrating 75 years of Indian independence for not having any quotes from freedom fighters or any mention of British colonialism, Mr. Sainath said that his book depicted many ordinary people, particularly women from rural India, who had stood against the British.

In a session laced with sarcasm, Mr. Sainath narrated the stories of fascinating characters depicted in the book: Mallu Swarajyam who took part in the Telangana armed struggle; Hausabai Patil of the Toofan Sena; Salihan, an Adivasi freedom fighter from Odisha; Shobharam Gehervar, N. Sankaraiah and R. Nallakannu in Chennai.

They fought for freedom and independence; freedom is still a struggle, Mr. Sainath said.