The Past as Present: Forging Contemporary Identities Through History

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In this collection of essays, Romila Thapar draws on her vast experience as a writer and historian by delving into the past for signs of the present. She reveals that much of what is going on has been foreshadowed in the pages of history. The current state of Indian violence against women draws its roots from the ancient patriarchal society. Just as strange is the idea that our Aryan or Dravidian heritage reveals a lot about our behaviour and culture. She also explores communalism and how India has evolved into a culture which is hardly secular through the centuries of communalism. She stresses, however, on secularism and how it is important especially to a country like ours with an explosion of people of all colour and races in one land. She addresses her views on nationalism and puts forth the idea that what is often perceived as nationalism is only a facade and historical facts are often muddled and blurred in the wake of elections and propaganda. An authoritative text, the book rigourously works through the centuries of Indian history and draws an intricate portrait throughout, a portrait which is wholly Indian.