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Noted Leftist historiographer K N Panikkar, who critiqued assemblage historiography’s simplistic presumption of civilization and highlighted however indigenous intellectuals offered an alternate paradigm of modernity, passed distant astatine a backstage infirmary successful Thiruvananthapuram connected Monday.
He would person turned 90 adjacent month.Panikkar, affectionately called KN by his colleagues, belonged to a prime radical of historians specified arsenic Bipan Chandra, Sabyasachi Bhattacharya and S Gopal who created a beardown section of modern Indian past astatine JNU’s Centre for Historical Studies.His people connected the past of ideas successful India successful the 19th period was pioneering. “Panikkar taught it astatine a clip erstwhile past penning was dominated by economical and governmental concerns.
He endeavoured, done his research, to assertion a presumption of centrality for civilization arsenic an important constituent some successful quality enactment and ample governmental movements,” says modern India historiographer Salil Misra.Historian Rakesh Batabyal adds that Panikkar brought to attraction however the ideas of Akshay Kumar Dutt, Lokahitawadi and different 19th period intellectuals needed nary occidental validation: they were modern successful their ain right, and gave america a consciousness of the caller satellite opening earlier us.
“When helium discussed the contented of cognition successful Ayurveda, we began to recognize the complexities of the Indian cognition processes nether colonialism,” helium says.Modern India historiographer Aditya Mukherjee was some pupil and workfellow of Panikkar. “He acquired the estimation of a large teacher erstwhile helium taught successful a assemblage successful Delhi University, and was invited to articulation JNU successful 1972. He was a superb teacher who taught america societal and spiritual reforms successful the 19th century, making the taxable travel live adjacent to students similar maine who had nary inheritance successful history, having graduated successful economics,” says Mukherjee.Born successful Guruvayoor, Panikkar near Kerala aft completing his undergraduate studies and went connected to gain his Master’s grade and doctorate from Rajasthan University, wherever helium aboriginal joined his assemblage mate, (late) Usha Bhargava. He was besides the founding vice-chancellor of Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, Kalady.The historian’s books include, “Against Lord and State: Religion and Peasant Uprising successful Malabar”.
“His relation successful presenting Malabar rebellion successful its existent humanities discourse and highlighting its aspects arsenic a state struggle, agrarian revolt and anti-imperialist question is of humanities significance”, noted Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan successful his condolence message. “He was a arrogant Marxist yet helium engaged with questions perceived arsenic extracurricular the mainstream of Marxist ideology, arsenic seen successful his important effort ‘Culture and Consciousness successful Modern India,” says R Mahalakshmi, eminent historiographer of South India.
Historian M G Sashibhooshan endorses the view. “I retrieve Panikkar accepting my petition to contiguous a insubstantial connected Pattanam astatine the History Congress, contempt knowing that my sentiment connected Pattanam (Muziris) was antithetic from that of Marxist historians”.Misra recalls Panikkar encouraging his students to disagree with him. “It was believed that helium was much apt to reward dissenting ideas with higher grades, than those that simply conformed to his ideas. His classrooms became contestatory spaces successful which helium was not the lone voice. Many different students offered their ain ideas and helium warmly endorsed each of them”.
