Reducing India to a civic nation bound by a Constitution disregards its history: JNU VC

Speaking out her views on India's heritage and history, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Vice-Chancellor Prof Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit said that reducing the country to a civic nation bound by a Constitution was not apt. She made the statement on May 20, on the second day of an international seminar being held at Delhi University, as a part of its centenary celebrations.

Pandit was expressing herself in a plenary session, the theme of which is 'Revisiting the Ideas of India from Swaraj to New India'. "Reducing India to a civic nation bound by a Constitution disregards its history, ancient heritage, culture and civilisation. I would place India as a Civilisation State. There are only two civilisation states that had a tradition with modernity, a realm with the region, and change with continuity. Those two states are India and China," she said, as reported by PTI.

The VC also made a reference to British historian EH Carr's dictum and stated, "Facts are sacred and interpretation can vary. Unfortunately, independent India, and to a certain extent the university I belonged to, overturned this dictum. Interpretation is sacred and facts can vary and this varies."

Pandit was speaking about the distortion of history at large. Noting its various challenges, she said, "History is 'his' story, but 'her' story also has to come." She mentioned that for a nation like India, it was important to celebrate history beyond religion. She also stated that universities were not competitors but collaborators, reported PTI.