Kanchan Banerjee claims that his book seeks to create awareness amongst the next generation on how history has been suppressed and concocted by the neo-colonialists to keep Indians feeling inferior.
It has been an acknowledged fact that out of all the ancient civilizations—such as Greek, Roman, Egyptian and Chinese—it is only the Indian civilization which has solely survived, and has contributed, via Vedanta, and the holy scriptures, unparalleled spiritual thought and practices.
Kanchan Banerjee, a computer scientist by profession, and a keen observer of the concurrent unfolding of events and their impact, has in his book, presented a critique of the manner in which history has been misinterpreted in the past, and how it has displayed an erroneous view, heavily influenced by Marxists, Left liberals, missionaries and Indian scholars, primarily motivated by the Western school of thought.
The author is extremely critical of Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s First Prime Minister, and finds his doctrine flawed, since it does not take into account the role of Dharma in our everyday lives which has assisted this great nation to withstand the tyranny of foreign invasions, and to hold its ground culturally and spiritually, for example, in the face of Islamic rule and infiltration. India, fortunately, despite insurmountable obstacles, has retained the distinct identity of its spiritual ethos inspired by the teachings and profound wisdom of sages and seers. Banerjee makes an impactful observation about our modern great thinkers, such as Sri Aurobindo and Swami Vivekananda who comprehended the true significance of civilization. Then, there was Veer Savarkar, the only person who could probably have prevented the horrific Partition of India.
The writer, while criticising Romila Thapar, and some alike, other historians, has questioned their version of events, which he claims was not an accurate presentation of how occurrences unfurled and developed. Instead, he has made it amply clear that while he has no background as a student of history, he became extremely engrossed in the subject over the years, and has viewed the myriad issues from the perspective of a scientist. In other words, what he has tried to bring forth, of course, though at variance with Thapar and her colleagues, that his findings, being fully documented, and based on scientific practice of analysis, are closer to the truth. Banerjee has quoted from the book titled, “Hindutva” written in 1892 by Chandranath Bose, wherein he stated that “To talk about Brahman in you, one must first experience it. This is true Hindutva, and as long as Hindus follow the original ideas of the Rishis, they can regain their own faith, heritage, history and control their destiny.” The author has suggested that the new generation of Indian leaders ought to focus on a few things, first, throwing away the cheap mimicking of the West. People need to go to the root of the ethos of their civilization, that is, Dharma; it is necessary to study and delve into history beyond textbooks. Banerjee has claimed that his book seeks to create awareness amongst the next generation on how history has been suppressed and concocted by the neo-colonialists to keep Indians feeling inferior, self-conscious, non-confrontational, passive, and ashamed of their tradition and heritage, letting their ancestral heritage go unacknowledged. The book, “The Crash of a Civilization” has revealed the actual impactful nature of various outside cultures, world-views and forces; the weaknesses of the majority of Hindu society, and how to infuse every aspect of living with Dharmic ideas. According to Banerjee, his book is not antagonistic to other scholars, for the sake of it, but is an attempt to understand the genuine nature of those who have affected the lives of people, of societies and of nations in the past, and are continuing to do so. But equally important, it is about knowing one’s true identity. Banerjee is of the view that Hindus face innumerable on-going challenges, some of which may even seem unsurpassable. But deep-rooted in India’s Dharmic system, the Indian mind can amicably resolve them. The bare minimum requirement is to understand the fortitude and strength of the Indian heritage by its inheritors, the leaders, the policymakers and people at large. He also makes extensive reference to the attempts made by followers of the Abrahamic one-book religions to brainwash the Hindu mind, which is far more perceptive and grounded than as to be overtaken by any kind of influences by others.
Cautioning people to be aware of the designs of foreign-inspired historians, the author has maintained that history was not cast in stone but could be interpreted and changed with fresh evidences which have been ignored in the past.
Professor Saradindu Mukherji, member of the Indian Council of Historical Research, in his testimonial, has affirmed that Banerjee’s book was a bold attempt to offer interestingly sound ideas on various themes that have shaped the evolution of human society over the millennium. Left liberals may want to criticise the book as an extension of the Sangh Parivar politics. However, if one goes through its various dimensions, the author provides many fresh aspects, hitherto absent in the presentation of events and landmarks of history. His thesis also needs to be taken seriously and observed by the current political dispensation since he has many new and well-thought-through angles to the Hindutva debate. A must-read mainly for historians, as well as also for the common man, whose misperceptions this book seeks to clear. Banerjee sums up this premise by stating that a Hindu, from childhood, chants or hears others chanting, “Sarvey bhavantu sukhina, sarvey santu niramayah”, meaning “Let everybody be happy and healthy”.