Challenges to Secular History Writing

Challenges to Secular History Writing, Varanasi, 2000 presents to the readers the glimpses of a seminar held in the department of history in the year 1998 in Banaras Hindu University. Some important presentations made during this national seminar have been included in this proceedings volume. Care has been taken to include the papers in their original flavor and so the opinions expressed in the papers, selected for this proceedings volume are exclusively those of the writers. The significance of the word 'secularism' is very well analyzed by the participants in their respective presentations, and the same will be fruitfully utilized by the dents of history, it is expected.

Dr. Aruna Sinha, the editor of the present volume, is Professor since 1998 in the Department of History, Faculty of Social Sciences, Banaras Hindu University. Her area of specialization is Modern and Contemporary History with special focus on colonialism' and 'neo-colonialism. She has published several books including her PhD work on Lord Reading The Viceroy of India, 1885, Sterling Publishers, New Delhi. Her later works include titles such as Roats of Underdevelopment: Reflections on India's Colonial Post (1987); Genetic Assumptions of Development Theories: A Drag on Search for Alternatives, Delhi, 1992, Drishti Dash To Vikalp Kaise?, 1994, 1995 (Second Edition), Debt-Trop or Death Trap: Nehru's India vis-à-vis 21 Century, 1997; History of Freedom Movement in Uttar Pradesh, Second Volume (to be published by the Sanskriti Nideshalaya, Government of Uttar Pradesh, 1998); Challenges to Secular History Writing 2000; several monographs; many research papers/articles and so on. These scholarly publications and research of inter-disciplinary nature was greatly acclaimed both within and outside India, and was widely reviewed in journals of national and international repute in different languages. Prof. A. Sinha has served two terms as Head of the Department of History, Faculty of Social Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, and has been honored with membership of various professional institutions and journals as well as different academic bodies of different universities. In 2012 Prof. Sinha was honoured with Bharat Gaurav Samman' by the India International Friendship Society, New Delhi.