Union Minister of State for Culture and External Affairs Meenakshi Lekhi on June 7 said there was a need to write history with “fresh perspectives and build a comprehensive and complete narrative”.
Speaking at the inaugural function of a three-day international conference, ‘Reconstructing the Human Histories of South Asia using Archaeology and Genetics’ at the Kashmir University in Srinagar, Ms. Lekhi said, “The conference is a great opportunity to build a comprehensive and complete narrative of the evolution of human histories in South Asia, especially the great Indian history”.
The Union Minister extolled India’s rich ancient history, including the Sarasvati Harappan Civilisation. “When people from different disciplines like archaeology, economics, genetics, culture, ancient DNA etc. work together, we are able to build a complete narrative because the gaps get filled by people from other disciplines through evidence, which needs to be collaboratively brought together,” Ms. Lekhi said.
Praising Kashmir’s past for being “a seat of great learning”, Ms. Lekhi said, “The world knows about Greek theatre but how many people know about Abhinavagupta, who wrote about dance, drama, and music. The original books are lying somewhere else. The digitised copies are not being made available.”
She said the ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ initiative aimed “to decolonise minds, decolonise history and to write history with a fresh Indian perspective”. The Minister appreciated Kashmir University for hosting meetings related to G20.
Ms. Lekhi visited a number of sites in Kashmir, including the Semthan Excavation Site in Anantnag which is of “immense archaeological significance”. “It (the site) has given a sequence of cultures to half a million years before the medieval era by reducing the gap between Neolithic and Kushan times in Kashmir,” Ms. Lekhi said.
She also visited the Martand Sun Temple in Anantnag. “The ancient temple has carvings depicting Lord Vishnu, River Goddesses Ganga and Yamuna, and is a testament to the Valley’s rich cultural history and glorious past,” she said. She also paid obeisance at the Bumzuva Cave and a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva in J&K.
Meanwhile, Sanjeev Sanyal, Secretary of, the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, said “peopling of the world is a great miracle where South Asia has played a great role”.
The three-day conference is supported by the Union Ministry of Culture, Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, Lucknow and KU’s Centre of Central Asian Studies (CCAS).
