It furnished documents showing how Purandhare ideas were echoed in the controversial book, 'Shivaji: Hindu King in Islamic India', by James Lane.
After decimation in the Lok Sabha polls and the recent state assembly elections, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has decided to strengthen its vote bank.
NCP president Sharad Pawar has been vocal about being against the Maharashtra government's decision of conferring 'Maharashtra Bhushan' honour on veteran historian Babasaheb Purandhare. Twice in the past fortnight Pawar has hinted that Purandhare doesn't deserve the honour. He also indirectly supported his party legislator Jitendra Awhad who took objection at state government's honour to Purandhare.
According to Awhad, Purandhare misrepresented history, thus dividing society on religious lines. Also, Sambhaji brigade, the Maratha youth organisation, had also opposed the state government's decision.
The organisation took to social media to further its cause. It furnished documents showing how Purandhare ideas were echoed in the controversial book, 'Shivaji: Hindu King in Islamic India', by James Lane.
Lane has notoriously stated in the book that Shivaji was the biological son of his guru Dadoji Kondeo. Maratha historian Shimant Kokate said: "Purandhare's book 'Raja Shiv –Chatrapati Shivaji' fuelled this claim by stating Kondeo and Shivaji belonged to the same gotra. There are factual errors in Purandhare's book. He has represented history in a one-sided manner using a Brahmanical prism. It doesn't represent Shivaji's life correctly. Thus this high civilian honour shouldn't be conferred on him."
Kokate furthered Pawar's cause. He said the NCP leader is progressive and reformist and was just echoing what youths feel about the issue.
Senior journalist Pratap Asabe said that the NCP raking up this controversy wouldn't strengthen the party's vote bank. He added: "However, it is known that Purandhare is factually incorrect and polarises history to suit Hindutva agendas. Pawar has always been against falsification of history."
Another senior journalist and historian on condition of anonymity told dna that there are two kinds of historians, the serious and the romantic kinds.
He said: "Babasaheb Purandhare belongs to the romantic movement. Jadunath Sarkar was a serious historian. We should respect both views. History should be weighed by facts. There is no point raking up old issues. There is a lack of debate in our country and thus people don't get the right picture."
A senior NCP leader on condition of anonymity said the NCP had not taken an official stand on the honour to Purandhare. "As a socially alert party, our members are just reiterating that we are a pro-Maratha-OBC party. Understanding Shivaji should go beyond caste and religion. He was a warrior who had a vision. His social, agricultural, military policies need to be discussed rather than creating a furore over his birth date and projecting him as an anti-Muslim king."
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