Akhil Bharatiya Itihas Sankalan Yojana
The Akhil Bharatiya Itihas Sankalan Yojana (ABISY) is a subsidiary of the
History
The Akhil Bharatiya Itihas Sankalan Yojana (ABISY) is a subsidiary of the
In July 2014,
Ideology
The stated objective of the ABISY is writing Indian history "from a national perspective".
The ABISY believes that the
Activities
Projects
In August 2014, the organisation stated that it had completed four research projects, namely retracing the journey of the
Methodology
The ABISY centers its historical work around
Publications
The ABISY publishes the journal Itihas Darpan (Mirror of History), edited in Delhi. A majority of the articles are written in English, while a few are in Hindi. It has been intermittently published since 1995; since 2016, Indian Council of Historical Research has taken over the reins. Few authors had any institutional affiliation or even academic training in history. The editorial standards of the journal emphasize the urgency of "scientific character" in Indian historical research,[24] with repeated references to "the importance of making reference to sources".[24] Nonetheless, citations are often vague and they seldom refer to any recent work in academic history.[25]
Not all local history is deemed worth researching, but only those facts which are in accordance with the organisation's ideology.[24] Tanika Sarkar notes the production to be a Brahmanical scape: both the editors were upper caste Hindus with no background in history, pages were affixed with Hindu imagery, and the primary focus remained on instilling a pride among readers about ancient India via idiosyncratic reading of Sanskrit texts. Histories of medieval and modern India are never delved into. In the April 2016 issue, one article derived all modern science from the Vedas while one prescribed Manusmriti as the panacea for all evils plaguing India while yet another eulogized the unique traditions of Hindu tolerance.[25]
Organisation
ABISY headquarters are located at Keshav Kunj, the Delhi office of the RSS.[15] Under the central office are thirteen ksetra, or provincial, offices, each run by a president. These centres are responsible for connecting ABISY ideology to local cultural lore and tradition.[15] Branches of ABISY exist in Chandigarh, Shimla and Kullu.[26] ABISY states that it has 500 professors associated with it.[12]
References
- ^ a b c d e f Berti 2006.
- ^ a b Berti 2007, pp. 7–9.
- ^ a b c d Chatterji, Hansen & Jaffrelot 2019, p. 165-168.
- ^ Chatterji, Hansen & Jaffrelot 2019, p. 165.
- ^ a b Berti 2007, p. 7.
- ^ a b Iyer, Kavitha (3 July 2014). "Coming soon from Modi sarkar: RSS takeover of top research, cultural bodies". Firstpost.
- ^ Chakravarti, Ananya (1 September 2023). "Forgotten Tales: The NCERT debate misses the Sangh's grip over local histories". The Caravan. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
- ^ "ICHR chief Sudershan Rao recommends 3 RSS historians to top panel". Economic Times. 14 January 2015.
- ^ a b "Saffron hue in revamped ICHR". The Hindu. 2 March 2015.
- ^ "Vision and objectives". ABISY.
- ^ Berti 2007, p. 15.
- ^ a b c d "Among new projects, RSS to focus on studying adivasis traditions". Hindustan Times. 21 August 2014. Archived from the original on 24 August 2014.
- ^ a b "6 times more 'Puranas' in hand, RSS puts 100 on job for new history". The Indian Express. 18 August 2014. Retrieved 9 September 2014.
- ^ Berti 2006, p. 17.
- ^ a b c d Berti 2007.
- ^ a b c Berti 2007, p. 8.
- ^ Trautmann 2005, p. xiii.
- ^ Bryant 2001, pp. 140–145.
- ^ "Misconceptions about Aryans". ABISY. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
- ^ "History according to puranas: RSS's next big project". Firstpost. 18 August 2014.
- ^ Berti 2007, p. 24.
- ^ Berti 2007, p. 23-24.
- ^ Berti 2007, p. 9.
- ^ a b c Berti 2007, p. 14.
- ^ a b Chatterji, Hansen & Jaffrelot 2019, p. 169-171.
- ^ Berti 2007, p. 12.
Sources
- Berti, Daniela (2006). "The Memory of Gods: From a Secret Autobiography to a Nationalistic Project". Indian Folklife (24). Retrieved 16 August 2014.
- Berti, Daniela (2007). "Hindu nationalists and local History: From ideology to local lore". Rivista di Studi Sudasiatici. 2: 5–36. Retrieved 16 August 2014.
- ISBN 9780195137774.
- Chatterji, Angana P.; Hansen, Thomas Blom; Jaffrelot, Christophe (August 2019). Majoritarian State: How Hindu Nationalism Is Changing India. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780190078171.
- Trautmann, Thomas (2005). The Aryan Debate. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195669084.