History or His-Story

Citizen of a nation are like Mountaineers,they seek a peg or a support which is stable.This peg/support is necessary for a mountaineer because he doesnt knows whether the place he is going to put his next step is stable or not.A stable peg/support assures him a safe point where he can return in case the place is unstable.
Same is the case with the citizens ,it is quite difficult for citizens to move forward without a definite history behind them.This history is like a psychological peg/support to which they can return in case the future might not be condusive.
History of a nation serves more than that,it is not only the collection of facts and artifacts.People look towards their history of seek their identity ,to find purpose of the collective group,to understand what they are today and why and similar other questions.History is like an old grandmother to whom her grand children keep asking what,why,how ,when.....then...what happened then....
As an Indian i too tried to know what is our history.But the more i searched, the more i got confused.History books tell we are the descendents of the Aryans who came some where from Central Asia,but not all agree to this .Hindu Nationalists rubbish this argument are instead propese we are original inhabitants of this country.According to them this whole "Aryan invasion theory" is created to press the european dominance.
There is also various versions of our own freedom struggle. While Winston Churchill didnt considered Indian freedom struggle as really a struggle,a warfreak Churchill believed that in a bloody war can only be called a struggle.While Indian Historians have tried to explain how our struggle for independence was result of a strategy and deliberate struggle.Congress,Gandhi and others have been credited for uniting the people as a nation and inspiring them to seek freedom from the British.But the British Historian like Vincent A. Smith write that India was given freedom because The Britsh themselves believed in the ideals of freedom and self governance.British had a strategy and a time table,the congress only helped to prepone the timing.They blame the hasteness of Congress for a divided nation and the violent situation at the time of independence.While indian historian describe at length the atrocities,exploitation and agressions of various Viceroys and Governor Generals,British Historian write paean of benevolence, administratively acumen and long sightedness these gentlemen .Both sides support their argument with ample data and facts.
Not only that Indian Historians and their Pakistan counter parts too have their own version of Independence struggle.The Two Nation Theory ,the Role of Muslim League ,Partition are some areas where they differ totally and tell heir citizen their respective version.The history of Kashmir has led to two wars and still an undeclared war is going on.
It can be reasoned that every side whether indian ,british or pakistanis has molded HISTORY such that it shows themselves as true and ethical before their citizens.But what actually happened ,i think, we will never be going to know.
It seems atleast that the Indian can count upon the version told by our historians as a right version,for sake of psychological stability and national feeling ,but matter is still remains confusing.Indian historians have tried to provide a version which answers many quesions and has remained for a long time.But Indian historians belonging to communist camp like Irfan Habib have described Congress and Gandhi as spporter of Rightists,capitalists and elites.They have their own set of facts to show how indian elites' interests were secured by the Congress.They allege that Congress has used its sway over power after independence to indoctrinate people with its own version of history and obscure other facets.Another group of historians called Subaltern Group as interpreted history from iew point of subalterns(lower strata of society),they too differ from mainstream Historians.RSS and Hindu Nationalists have their own story to tell.As a citizen to whom one must belief especially when every side is euipped with its strong argument and data to support .Even if one is doctrinated to one version it is difficult in this information technology age to keep his ears closed for other versions . More informaion often contradictory is present making things more confusing.

An old wisdom says that "forget what happened just move forward in life".But while moving forward may be easy it is not quite easy to forget ones past .The past haunts ,it comes before you in a new cloak and poses the same quetion which you always tried to avoid.