A country can have many versions of history. No one should have a final authority on history.”: Dr. Vikram Sampath.
Mumbai: In its bid to converge the legacy and wisdom of the past, the aspirations and innovation of the present, and the dream of a near future, ABP Network, the country’s leading multi-language news network, organized India @ 2047 Summit, a defining platform that sets the national discourse on India’s transformation into a Viksit Bharat by the centenary of its independence.
Speaking at the opening session on “Reimaging India: Letters to the Future”, noted Author and Historian, Dr. Vikram Sampath, said, “Our colonial masters challenged the identity of the Indian nation. The British denied the idea and the existence of India, with the likes of John Strachey, a British Civil servant propagating it as the first lesson.” He further explained, “After Independence, the historians and scholars had a narrow mindset and limited view of India. Unfortunately, Indian intellectuals from that era carried forward the colonial mindset, which impacts our thinking even today.”
Dr. Sampath was speaking about the impact of colonial mindset in understanding and discovering Indian history. He added, “State borders and laws might not change; the country remains the same, and so have been the pride of Indians for ages. Vishnu Puran has clear description of what constituted India, the landmass and people from Himalayas to the Indian ocean,”
He further pointed out, “The idea that all our intellectual and knowledge wealth, like the Vedas, have come from outside, is to create an inferiority complex amongst Indians.”
“We are taught about the wars that we lost in history, from invasions to the battles of Plassey, Buxar, or Panipat, but not about those that we had won.” Dr. Sampath said elaborating on the extensive history of Indian civilization. “India is the only pre-bronze age civilization that’s still alive and thriving, so we must have shown some courage and won wars.”
Dr. Sampath further pointed out, “Naval Mutiny of Bombay should be called last war of independence because it was followed by a series of events leading to India’s independence.”
Speaking about the importance of history in the making of Viksit Bharat at 2047, Dr. Sampath observed, “Those who control the past, controls the present and the future.”
On being asked that his works suit the current establishment, Dr. Sampath clarified, “The Government has no collaboration or influence in the research and work done by historians, academicians and scholars. History is a subject that’s exploited for political interests; that doesn’t mean one should stop writing. My book is not titled Veer Savarkar; it’s just Savarkar. I have been neutral and objective in my analysis of historical characters, and have put forth both sides of people like Tipu Sultan and Savarkar. My objective is not to thrust my views on the people, but let them decide for themselves.”
On being asked about his findings on Savarkar and whether he was a patriot or coward, Dr. Vikram Sampath, said, “Savarkar started India’s first secret revolutionary society ‘Abhinav Bharat’. He initiated the first boycott of British manufactured clothes by Holika Dahan, which is often attributed to Gandhi ji. When he was in London, he galvanized a revolutionary movement for complete independence from British rule. He was served a sentence of 50 years of Kala Pani.”
He further commented on the different ideologies of Mahatma Gandhi and Savarkar, saying, “While Gandhi ji propagated Ram Rajya, Savarkar pointed out that to achieve Ram Rajya, Lord Ram had to wage a war against Ravan. Savarkar felt that Gandhi’s Khilafat Movement was a Muslim appeasement initiative.”
“There were two ways of gaining independence, one through armed revolution and other through nonviolent struggle.” Dr. Sampath said. Elaborating the contribution of armed revolutionaries for India’s independence, he further added, “There cannot be only one way for India to achieve freedom. We should not dismiss and disrespect the sacrifices of Indian revolutionaries who gave their lives for the country throughout the colonial rule by calling them revolutionary terrorists.”
Speaking about Dr. Ambedkar’s debates with Gandhi and Nehru, Dr. Sampath said, “Ambedkar didn’t agree that Gandhi should be celebrated Mahatma. Ambedkar was also against the first amendment made to the constitution.”
Sharing his views on dismissing historians or accounts of history, Dr. Sampath expressed, “I am not in the favour of removing chapters on Mughal history from school books. I am not in the favour of burning books, banning authors, or removing chapters from history books. A country can have many versions of history. History is like an elephant; we are exploring parts of that history. No one should have a final authority on history.”
ABP Network’s India @ 2047 Summit is a premier platform bringing together the country’s most influential voices across governance, business, history, spirituality and culture, science, international diplomacy, sports, music and entertainment to map India’s journey toward becoming a fully developed nation by the 100th year of its independence. Set against the backdrop of an emerging India, the summit serves as a powerful platform for dialogue, vision, and strategy, where national aspirations meet global perspectives. The Summit convenes changemakers and pathbreakers from India and around the world who will shape India’s future narrative in the making of Viksit Bharat.
