Historians in 1857 panel revolt

New Delhi: On the 150th anniversary of the 1857 revolution, the Government’s plan for celebrations has hit a bad note.

A national committee set up by the ministry of tourism and culture to plan the celebration of the Sepoy Mutiny is falling apart. The 68-member committee had two historians and the rest were politicians. Now, the only two historians on board have decided to opt out.

Historian Ramchandra Guha says, “It is a carelessly chosen committee and is absurdly staffed with politicians. Historians who are an authority on the 1857 revolution have been kept out of it. I don't understand that and I have decided not to be part of the committee."

With Ramchandra Guha and Romilla Thapar out, the committee now has to contend with politicians like Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, Lok Jan Shakti party MP Ram Vilas Paswan, and JD(S) president HD Deve Gowda among others.

Chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh the committee, besides the Sepoy Mutiny, is entrusted with chalking out programmes for the 60th anniversary of Indian Independence and centenary celebration of adoption of Vande Mataram as national song.

Member of Sahmat, activist Rajan says, “This committee is totally ad hoc arbitrary and ill informed. So this is one way of I think bureaucratic control over the whole thing.”

But this has little effect on the Government. The committee is etching out celebration plans even as the well informed remain silent spectators, like the Mutiny Memorial in the Ridge area – perhaps because mere management requires little help from the past.

With inputs from Priyanjana in Bangalore

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