South Asia Citizens Web

The ghastly incident in Rajsamand, Rajasthan, (December 6) showed the impact which ‘Hate other’ can create. On December 6th, Shambhulal Regar, an ex-marble trader hacked to death a Muslim worker Afrazul Khan. Afrazul, a laborer, was called by Shambhu on the pretext of giving him some work. Many immigrants like him from West Bengal have been staying in Rajsamand working on construction of roads and other sundry occupations. The horrific part of the incident was that Shambhu got his 14 year old nephew to shoot the incident on video and then to upload the clip. The incident must belong to hate crime of the worst order.

part of ILO Asia-Pacific Working Paper Series, December 2017 | ILO DWT for South Asia and Country Office for India

The years after Independence saw a paradigm shift in history writing in India. Inspired by the ideals of nationalism, and the vision of a secular and democratic society, a generation of young historians set out to write a new kind of history. Historians, it was felt, had a role to play in the constitution of a new national imaginary, in fashioning the citizen subjects of the new nation state.