Saturday, July 21, 2007

Seminars to focus on Kosambi

A report from the ToI:

Various events are being planned in different parts of the country in the birth centenary year of eminent Marxist historian Damodar Dharmananda Kosambi.

Kosambi is best recognised for his work on the Marxist interpretation of Indian history. In a glowing tribute to Kosambi, eminent Indologist A.L. Basham had described the 'Introduction
to the Study of Indian History' as "an epoch making work containing brilliant, original ideas on almost every page."

R.P. Nene, former member of the all-India committee of the People's Union for Civil Liberties, said that along with Kosambi's daughter, well-known sociologist Meera Kosambi, a committee of scholars was being put together to plan seminars on the Marxist historian's work.
"In Pune, we hope to organise at least six lectures, one every two months, if not more. We are also planning to invite eminent historians such as Irfan Habib and Romila Thapar," Nene said.

The veteran activist said that although three generations of the Kosambi family have taught at the Fergusson College, and Prof Kosambi also taught at the University of Pune, the city has failed to celebrate his eminence.

"This is partly because he was a Marxist and partly because he was short-tempered. His expectations were very high and he was very difficult to get along with," Nene said.

Arvind Gupta, another Kosambi admirer who is famous for teaching science through toys said,
"His way of looking at history was extraordinary. He taught us that history is not linear. So many of our present-day beliefs have their roots in ancient history. We can look at these beliefs and then understand history."

Gupta, who is head of the Muktangan science exploratorium for children at the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics, has also planned to organise some events in Kosambi's memory during his birth centenary year.

information from ; timesofindia.indiatimes.com

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