An eminent historian Professor Mridula Mukerjee, Former Director Jawahar Lal Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, New- Delhi said that Indian peasants were the real actors in the Indian freedom movement where as normally they are considered as passive, dumb and poor. The political forum during colonial period was mobilizing Indian peasants to show their mass base. Mahatma Gandhi mobilized Indian peasantry with his theory of the dignity of labour for freedom struggle.
She was speaking at the inaugural function of the 21 days refresher course on the theme’ Historiography on Agrarian Relations’ in the Dept. of History sponsored by the UGC -Academic Staff College, Kurukshetra University here today.
She dwell upon in detail the critique of the colonial historiography on agrarian relations and also focused on the Marxist historiography on the agrarian movements.
Professor Amarjeet Singh, Chairman, Dept. of History and course coordinator welcomed the guests and introduced the theme and its relevance of the refresher course for the participants.
Professor Girish Chopra, Dean Academic Affairs inaugurated the refresher course and motivated the participants to discuss various social issues such as corruption and environment.
Let us decolonize the social sciences including history and economics to build the hybrid work culture in the knowledge economy of today with colonial consciousness,” opined Dr. M. M. Goel, Professor of Economics & Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, Kurukshetra University while making presidential remarks.
Indian farmers were frog of the well with subsistence level before British rule which played positive role through commercialization of agriculture and introduction of cash crops, said Professor Goel .
Professor Raghvender Tanwar, Former Registrar proposed vote of thanks. Professor Shashi Anand, Director Academic Staff College, Professor R.P. Grover, Professor RS Sangwan, Professor S.K.Chahal , Ms Salochana Nain, Dr.Shallu Sachdeva and Ms Suman Siwach were also present on the occasion.