Expressing concerns over the projection of fundamentalism as nationalism, writer Baragur Ramachandrappa held that those who were quiet, even though they knew that fundamentalism and nationalism were two different concepts, were committing a self-deception.
“Fundamentalists are destroying history and freedom. They don’t know history and yet speak on it. Those who know history, particularly the historians, need to respond to them. Failing to do so would force the innocent people to mistake falsehoods for the truth,” he said.
He was delivering the inaugural address at 29th History Congress held at Kannada University at Hampi in Ballari district on Friday.
Pointing to the controversies surrounding Tipu Sultan, the writer held that discourse on whether the 18th century ruler was a nationalist or an anti-national is meaningless as the concept of nation was not in existence in those days.
“Nothing is misinterpreted as much as religion and culture in India. Real historians are asked to go on compulsory leave. No ideology should be stagnant. It should move beyond a party and a religion. Then only the construction of real history is possible,” he said.
