World needs to see India without prejudice: PM Modi

Talking about the discovery of the 4000-year-old horse-driven chariot, the PM said, “Such discoveries stress that in order to know India, there is a need for prejudice-free new concepts.”

Narendra Modi, India’s heritage, pre-conceived notions, archaeological findings, Uttar Pradesh, Archaeological Survey of India, Vedic period, Indus Valley civilisation, Indian express news

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay at the opening of 46th Session of the World Heritage Committee at Bharat Mandapam. (Image source: PTI)

Underlining the significance of India’s heritage as not just “itihaas (history) but also vigyaan (science)”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday said in order to know India, there is a need for “or a mind free of pre-conceived notions”. He was talking about the recent archaeological findings in Uttar Pradesh’s Sinauli, where the remains of a 4000-year-old horse drawn carriage were discovered by the Archaeological Survey of India, corresponding to Vedic period, rather than the Indus Valley civilisation.

“Jaise jaise naye tathya saamne aa rahe hain, jaise jaise itihaas are vaigyanik verification ho raha hau, humein ateet ko dekhne ke naye drishtikon viksit karne pad rahe hain (as new facts are coming to light, as history is getting scientifically and technologically verified, we have to develop new perspectives to see history),” the Prime Minister said, addressing the gathering at the opening of the 46th session of the World Heritage Committee (WHC) at the Bharat Mandapam here.

While the Western scholars proposed that chariots and weapons came to India with the Aryan invasion, ASI says the Sinauli excavation shows evidence of burials of warriors, weapons and chariots which is indigenous in nature.

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Talking about the discovery of the 4000-year-old horse-driven chariot, the PM said, “Such discoveries stress that in order to know India, there is a need for prejudice-free new concepts.”

The World Heritage Committee meets annually and is responsible for managing all matters on World Heritage and deciding on sites to be inscribed on the World Heritage list. India is hosting the WHC Meeting for the first time.

Referring to the artifacts returned from abroad the Prime Minister mentioned that more than 350 heritage items have been brought back in recent times. “This return of ancient heritage artifacts is a display of global generosity and respect for history,” he said. He also pointed out the growing research and tourism opportunities in the field as the technology progresses.

On Delhi hosting of he global meet, Modi said one can find heritage and history at every step of the way. He cited the example of the 2000-year-old Iron Pillar which has been rust-resistant and gives a glimpse of India’s metallurgical prowess in the past.

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Union Minister for External Affairs S Jaishankar, Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Director General of UNESCO Ms Audrey Azoulay and Chairperson of World Heritage Committee Vishal Sharma were present on the occasion.

Divya A

Divya A reports on travel, tourism, culture and social issues - not necessarily in that order - for The Indian Express. She's been a journalist for over a decade now, working with Khaleej Times and The Times of India, before settling down at Express. Besides writing/ editing news reports, she indulges her pen to write short stories. As Sanskriti Prabha Dutt Fellow for Excellence in Journalism, she is researching on the lives of the children of sex workers in India. ... Read More

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