Vol. 2, Issue 10, Part J (2016)
Terrorists and martyrs: The smearing of the line
Terrorists and martyrs: The smearing of the line
Author(s)
Dr. Suryakant Nath
AbstractThe past is an inheritance that we all share, but its interpretation varies according to how it is viewed in terms of political and social utility. It is naive to simply see history as an accumulation of facts and figures, or as a series of colourful little stories, which enliven human knowledge. Instead, political suppositions have often played a major role. The past also has considerable political leverage. For this reason, history is a contested terrain: between high and the low; black and white, left and the right; nation against nation. It cannot be a subject to be trifled with or taken lightly. It is extremely dangerous in wrong hands, though a source of enlightenment too. In the political arena, history’s worth is well known. Political parties are aware of their own past and are usually anxious to conceptualise the collective past in their own vision. In this context, re-writing of history which many call revisionism or denial of history, assumes utmost significance. In Indian history, there have been times when there has been deliberate intent to write and re-write history to suit political and ideological needs of particular ruling factions. However, it is not only confined to Indian history.
The way societies define themselves changes throughout generations. Each word is used, analysed and interpreted in a particular context and changes its meaning with the changing times. The present paper is an attempt to discuss the more complex issues related to the writing of history and the changing meanings in the context of the phrase ‘Revolutionary Terrorism’ used by Late Professor Bipan Chandra in his book India’s Struggle for Independence.
How to cite this article:
Dr. Suryakant Nath. Terrorists and martyrs: The smearing of the line. Int J Appl Res 2016;2(10):676-680.