I believe in my history, culture, background of science: Governor Jagdeep Dhankar

KOLKATA: Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar took in his stride the widespread criticism and sarcasm his “Arjun’s arrows had nuclear powers” comments received and said on Wednesday that he believed in his “history, culture and background of science” and was ready to “join issues with anyone”.
Dhankhar, speaking at a function at the Birla Industrial and Technological Museum on Tuesday, said that in “the Ramayana, we had this udaan khatola (flying machine)”.He then referred to the Mahabharata and spoke of how “Sanjay narrated everything and not from the (battle)field” and how “those arrows of Arjun... had nuclear powers”.
He stuck to his view of “history” on Wednesday. “Some people may take Ram to be just a mythological figure, I don’t,” he said, adding: “If others have a different idea, all I can appeal to them is to read history, read background, read our rich culture. I regard their opinion well. Any opinion that criticises me, I read thrice. I try to understand and rationalise it but that does not mean I have to agree to it. I believe in my history, I believe in my culture, I believe in my background of science.”
Arjun’s nuclear bow and arrow is a tale: Historian
Several BJP leaders, including Tripura CM Biplab Deb and Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh, have drawn criticism from a cross-section of scientists and historians alike for conflating culture and history like Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar. The governor’s Tuesday’s comments, too, invited widespread ridicule, with former Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics director Bikash Sinha finding his comments “irresponsible and senseless” and Presidency University sociology emeritus professor Prasanta Ray questioning the wisdom of statements not supported by “historical or archaeological facts”.
Asked about the flak his comments had drawn, the governor counter-questioned: “So you don’t believe that we were leaders in the world 4,000 years ago? You don’t believe that there was udaan khatola (flying machine)? You don’t believe that Sanjay gave the entire description to Dhritarashtra? You don’t believe that the arrows Arjun used were so powerful that they could be compared to the best in the current times? Sir, Madam, I subscribe to Indian history, Indian culture and I am proud of it. I can join issues with anyone.”
Dhankhar’s Wednesday’s assertions, too, elicited widespread criticism. Former Visva-Bharati vice-chancellor and Presidency College history department head Rajat Kanta Ray felt Arjun having “a nuclear bow and arrow” was “a tale and not history according to the current definition of history (a narration of exact facts)”.
Sociologist Prasanta Ray, too, felt “history and culture” were “closely linked” but they were “not the same and should not be equated”. “History is based on facts supported by evidence. Culture is essentially a way of life; it is shaped and influenced by history but can never be called history. So it is wrong to assume that a mythological figure really existed unless we have proof to support that,” he added.
Historian Nrisingha Prasad Bhaduri said governors appointed by the BJP government were delving into “everything” and behaved “as if they are know-alls”. “They fail to understand one thing: great writers have a very strong power of imagination,” Bhaduri said.
Historian and Asiatic Society publication secretary Ramkrishna Chatterjee felt there was “no evidence that Ram lived though he may lives in people’s hearts”.
Dhankhar’s comments elicited some amount of sarcarm online as well. Activist-lawyer Prashant Bhushan took to Twitter to say: “Hey diddle diddle, the cat & the fiddle, the cow jumped over the moon; the little dog laughed, to see such fun, and the dish ran away with the spoon. With such governors, we truly live in La La Land!”
Journalist-columnist Pritish Nandy, too, tweeted: “And this man is governor of West Bengal. This is how much we respect our states and their culture.”