NEW DELHI: Having fulfilled its objective to scrap the special status of J&K by rendering the controversial Article 370 defunct, the Modi government appears to have moved on to project the state as being one of the sources of India’s spiritual and cultural tradition as part of the larger Bharatiya culture.
As part of the endeavour, home minister Amit Shah on Thursday released ‘Jammu Kashmir & Ladakh Through The Ages’, a publication of the Indian Council of Historical Research, which focuses on the state’s “profound historic influence”, referring to its contributions to Ayurveda, Sanskrit grammar and art. The preface of the book, with the Shiva temple built by Adi Shankaracharya in the 8th century CE on its cover, says, “This volume narrates with rare illustrations, many being published for the first time, how the story of India’s spiritual and cultural legacy is traceable to the grandeur of ancient Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh.”
Speaking at the launch in the presence of education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Shah said, “Kashmir is not just a geographical entity; it is a cultural and spiritual cornerstone of India.” He praised the publication as an effort to challenge “long-standing myths about India’s unity, particularly during the colonial era when a false narrative was pushed about India never being one nation”: a reference to the grouse that the notion about J&K being a distinct entity deserving of special status was manufactured as part of the effort to encourage separatism.
“Kashmir has been the land of our sages and other famous Indian cultural figures. Sage Kashyap meditated there for a long time. It is possible that the land was named after him,” he said.
Shah said during the colonial period, efforts were made to “break the confidence of our people, leading to a myth that India was never one country”, adding history written during the British era might not have necessarily had ill intentions, but due to their limited knowledge, their interpretation was flawed.
“Artificial constructs like these do not last long, and PM Modi’s firm resolve marked the beginning of a new chapter in Kashmir’s development. No power in the world can separate it from us,” Shah said, reinforcing govt’s stance on the region’s integration. He also called for a fresh approach to history, urging historians to “write our history with confidence, based on facts and evidence”, and to embrace the truth of India’s legacy. “It’s time to move away from history written to please rulers and reclaim the truth with pride,” he said, stressing on documenting the nation’s past from an Indian perspective.
