This was the Graduation Ceremony of the Sir Jadunath Sarkar Fellowship of Indian History, which took place on Tuesday, at the India International Centre, Lodhi Road, representing a landmark in the reconstitution of the Indian historical narrative based on indigenous and inclusive scholarship.
The event, organised around the theme Reclaiming India historical narrative: a celebration of Indian historiography, included senior government officials, scholars and fellows of the Foundation of Indian Historical and Cultural Research (FIHCR).
As Chief Guest and Keynote speaker, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan applauded the contribution made by the Fellowship in nation-building and cultural preservation. He pointed to possible future partnership with FIHCR as part of the National Education Policy (NEP), as well as the work of the organisation to popularise Indian classical music.
Guest of Honour was Minister of Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Special Guest was economist and public policy expert Dr. Shamika Ravi. Ravi highlighted the role of historical research as an institutional approach, and stated that history is not located in textbooks but exists in everyday life through media and popular discourse. She was critical of the colonial era representations of India as a stale society as well.
The ceremony marked the academic success of the first group of Sir Jadunath Sarkar Fellows, who spent a year in archival and field research on subjects such as Indic kingship and temple heritage as well as local histories and intellectual movements.
It was also announced by FIHCR Founder-Director Dr. Vikram Sampath that senior fellows had submitted manuscripts that were accepted by major publishing houses. Having attended the ceremony, he said it was not just an academic success, but a cultural one as well. It signifies the beginning of an Indic intellectual tradition, which honours those experiences of life and the voices of many that have made us who we are today.
A panel discussion about graduating fellows emphasized the richness and variety of their research. Chandrachur Ghose discussed how to overcome institutional prejudices in historical research, and Nabaarun Barooah focused on the bravery and solidarity that is built into the tribal and civilisational tradition of India. Dr. Saumya Dey gave an revisionist vision of Indic kingship, Shaan Kashyap considered the democratising effects of the Fellowship on writing history. Dr. Pratishtha Mukherjee explained reinterpretation of heritage to involve people and Prof. (Dr.) Lakshmi Arya Thathachar explained about dual identity of India as a civilisational state and a modern nation state.
It was also the occasion on which the second generation of Sir Jadunath Sarkar Fellows were launched, with an overview of future research themes to continue to explore more of Indian history that had gone largely unexplored.
FIHCR has its flagship initiative, the Sir Jadunath Sarkar Fellowship, which provides funding to independent scholars in 5 areas: Ancient, Medieval, Modern, Freedom Movement, and Post-Independence history. It seeks to reverse the colonial and ideologically stifling histories through supporting research based on the Indian experience of civilisation.
FIHCR is an apolitical, non-profit making organisation, which aims to promote high and accessible historical scholarship. Its initiatives are the Jadunath Sarkar Fellowship and YUVA, which involves young Indians aged between 6 and 18 years in historical inquiry.
This was facilitated by the OLA Foundation which operates within education, health, livelihoods and cultural heritage to bring about cultural renaissance based on the India traditions.
