There is no absolute truth possible in the Indian way of thinking: Amish Tripathi (HLF 2021 – Curtain Raiser)
Amish co-authored the recent non-fiction book Dharma with sister Bhavna Roy based on Indian mythology and philosophy. In the book, the authors relate the Indian way of thinking and philosophy in a simple conversational tone making it relevant to the modern way of living.
Amish Tripathi along with Bhavna Roy will be in conversation with Mani Rao at HLF 2021 during a session on ‘Dharma: Decoding the Epics for a Meaningful Life’
Excerpts from an earlier interview
Amish Tripathi says our ancestors did not believe in one truth. Truth is more from an observer’s point of view. What is true for one need not be so for the other person looking from a different perspective. Hence unlike the westerners who believe there is only one truth, there is no absolute truth possible. “Our ancestors believed that there is only one subject where truth is possible. That is Mathematics. In Sanskrit, the term Itihaasa doesn’t claim it is the only way it happened,” he says.
He says we always studied history with observer’s bias and we studied more about foreigners who attacked us and much less about our ancestors who defended us. Muhammad Ghori, Allauddin Khilji and Babar were not Indians, They were Turks and no they do not look like Hindi film heroes. Allauddin Khilji did not look like Ranveer Singh – he would look like a Chinese to us. He says, thy did not speak Urdu; they spoke Persian or Turkic.
He questions the obsession of Lutyen historians with Delhi. “I am not reducing the importance of Delhi. But, what about the rest of India?” he questions. Many great kingdoms have not found a place in history books because they weren’t from Delhi, he laments. The Hiysakasm Rashtrakutas, Salivahanas, Kakatiyas, Kalingas, Buddhist Palas, Raja Bhoj, Pratiharas, Sikhs, Hindushahis from Afghanistan; except for Mauryas and Guptas, several others were not talked about much. Amish Tripathi goes on to mention how Aidl Shahis from Deccan, Vijayanagara Empire, and Bijapur tat at one time was the biggest city in India were ignored simply because they did not conquer Delhi.
