Modern states should retain their ancient characteristics: Rao

ICHR Chairman Y Sudershan Rao today took a dig at his fellow historians accusing a section of them of "creating a wedge" between the sections of society, even as he batted for a re-establishment of modern nations with ancient characteristics.
"Post independence, our historians...Want to create wedges between the sections of the society. Why do they want to diminish the pride of the country? What kind of ideology do they have?
"The modern historiography is also going on the Western line and this is not going to clear the (distorted) facts of the history. Such distortions need to be examined by the present generation scholars and a realistic history should emerge," Rao said.

Speaking at the Foundation Day of Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR), he claimed that Indians feel "shy" to call the country as Bharat.
"People, land and its culture...Are three major characteristics of nationhood. We can all live together and follow one Sanatan Dharma. It is not a religion. So there is no question of quarrel.
Rao said India was a modern term coined by Westerners,

which they borrowed from the Greeks.
"Our language is Bharat, instead we call it India. No nation feels shy to call its country with its own name. Only Indians do," he lamented.
The ICHR Chairman said the theory of 'One Nation and One Religion' was also a Western concept.

"Bharat is the sentiment, the land, the mother. The Vande Mataram movement, before independence, moved the entire country. Later it became communalised. A particular section wanted to have a country based on religion, that was in turn based on European theory of One Religion and One State. So we never contributed to this characteristic of nationhood. Our nationalism is beyond the barriers of religion, caste, colour...
"So we call this as a nation not from the point of view of the present modern characteristics prescribed. We belong to the nation of the culture," he added.