History was never a subject I particularly liked when in school. Maybe, it was because all it involved was memorisation of lots of dates and events, and other random stuff. History just seemed so static – we were studying our own country, but in a sort of distant way. And then there was world history with even more dates and events. The only skill involved in the study of history was how well one could reproduce the printed text book.
India’s history is rich and tapestried. It is long and has a fascinating array of people and stories. Unfortunately, that breadth and depth was missing in the way the text books were written and the subject was taught. The saving grace was Amar Chitra Katha comics. Published twice a month, they were something I looked forward to. It brought history alive in a manner in which history textbooks never did.
And so it has been for the better part of my life. The present and future seemed of greater interest than the past. That is starting to change.
Continued tomorrow.
