One cannot do without History if one has to stride in the right direction. One has to learn from the past. For making the knowledge of the past available to us, Historians play a very vital role and everyone should thank them for their contributions.
India's pre-eminent political and economic historian Shri Bipan Chandra died today in his sleep at the age of eighty six.
He was
considered as India’s foremost scholars and an authority on Mahatma Gandhi. A life-long
coloumnist and author of numerous books on modern Indian History including The Rise and Growth of Economic
Nationalism (his earliest one), Communalism: A Primer, The Indian Left: A
critical appraisal, The Epic Struggle, Ideology and Politics in Modern India
and Freedom Struggle.
Born in 1928 in Himachal Pradesh, he was educated at the Forman Christian College, Lahore; the Stanford University, USA and the Delhi University, where he completed his PhD. He had worked as a Reader at the Hindu College, New Delhi and then joined as a Professor of History in the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi soon after the university was founded.
He was also the Chairperson of the Centre for Historical Studies, JNU; Member of the University Grants Commission in 1993 and the Chairman of the National Book Trust from 2004-2012. He was awarded the prestigious Padma Bhushan for his works.
Shri Bipan Chandra (L) with Shri S.I. Habib
He had also co-authored India’s Struggle for Independence
and India since Independence, books considered as the Bible, Gita and Koran for modern Indian
History for competitive examinations, especially the civil service examination. My exposure to the historical treasure that he had produced was by reading these. All civil service aspirants and civil servants will remember him, for it is his works that helped them get a hang of the subject.
Being a civil service aspirant and a student of modern Indian History, I gained immense knowledge studying his works. His death brings sorrow. Observing a day of fast in his memory.
May his soul rest in peace!
