Editorial Volume 2, No. 3

We are happy to bring the fifth issue of Ghadar Jari Hai to our readers. We have now entered our second year of publication. In the first four issues the focus had been on the Ghadar of 1857, in honour of the 150th anniversary of that historic milestone in the political life of South Asia. From this issue, we have expanded the canvas of our coverage to research into other periods of Indian history.

We are happy to bring the fifth issue of Ghadar Jari Hai to our readers. We have now entered our second year of publication. In the first four issues the focus had been on the Ghadar of 1857, in honour of the 150th anniversary of that historic milestone in the political life of South Asia. From this issue, we have expanded the canvas of our coverage to research into other periods of Indian history.

India is said to have entered the “modern” age and today’s economic, social and political systems are being characterised as being in tune with this transformation. Shivanand, in his cover story, questions this paradigm of modernity, pointing to the grinding poverty and extreme inequity that stare us in the face today. Going beyond the esoteric or the chronological meaning of modernity, he exposes the hollow modernity of today’s economic and political system, rooted in Eurocentric thought. His persuasive essay explains that the way to create a modern society is to renew the rich heritage of Indian thought – Indian history, economics, philosophy and politics – and adapt it, along with the lessons of socialism in the twentieth century, to create a modern society.

The interview of Ravindra Singh Bisht, a well-known historian and field archaeologist, tries to unravel the mystery of Harappan culture, a sophisticated civilisation with no known literature on the one hand and that of the vast Vedic literature with no archaeological evidence to locate its chronology and evolution.

The study on “Agrarian relations during the Chola period” by Raghavan looks at agrarian relations in a fertile region of South India (falling in present day Tamil Nadu) about 1000 years ago. This study assumes contemporary importance in the context of ongoing controversies over the acquisition of agricultural land for industry and other private businesses today.  It explores the past to suggest lessons for the present. It is being serialised in two parts.

Our magazine will be featuring a few more sections from this issue onwards. In the “Sanskriti” section, Shivanand presents a review of the play “1857 Ek Safarnama: A Worm’s Eye View” directed by the well known theatre personality, Nadira Zaheer Babbar.

Girish Bhave passionately portrays, in the “Jewels of India” section, the life and works of Tukaram, the great poet of the Bhakti movement who hailed from present day Maharashtra.

S. Udayan and Surkhraj Kaur paint a portrait of Tippu Sultan, an enlightened and indomitable patriot from the 18th century, in the section “Pages from History”.

Padma Sankaran explains with a lucid style the significance of Tirukkural, one of the most important ancient literary works, composed before the Common Era.

In the “Book Review” section, Prakash reviews the recently published work of Smita Pandey titled “Vision of the Rebels During 1857: Aspects of Mobilisation, Organisation and Resistance”, an absorbing work which throws fresh light on the different aspects of the Great Ghadar of 1857.

The engrossing article by T. S. Sankaran brings out the significance of the Uttiramerur excavations, which revealed the rich heritage of village democracy in medieval Tamil Nadu.

We are glad to include three more distinguished members as our Editorial Advisors. Shri C. A. Balasubramanian, former Additional Controller General of Accounts, Government of India and an expert in economic analysis; Shri K. Parthasarathy, a frequent commentator on political affairs and one of the editors of Kannada magazine “Hosathu”; and Dr. Ravindra Singh Bisht, former Jt Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India and a distinguished archaeologist and Sanskrit scholar.

Our appeal for subscriptions and life membership has found resonance among our well wishers in India and abroad. We urge those readers who have not yet sent in their financial support to this venture to do so expeditiously.

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