Now Reading: Sumit Sarkar, Marxist historian of modern India, dies at 87
-
01
Sumit Sarkar, Marxist historian of modern India, dies at 87
Sumit Sarkar, the eminent Marxist historian of modern India, died at a private hospital in New Delhi on Thursday. He was 87. The University of Delhi professor was best known for "The…
The Story in Brief
Sumit Sarkar, the eminent Marxist historian of modern India, died at a private hospital in New Delhi on Thursday. He was 87. The University of Delhi professor was best known for "The Swadeshi Movement in Bengal" and "Modern India, 1885-1947". His work shifted historical focus from elites to socio-economic processes and popular struggles, the Times of India reports. Former students quoted by The Hindu recalled his scintillating lectures and generosity. The Delhi University Teachers' Association called his passing a profound loss for historical scholarship and the democratic movement.
The Indian Opinion
Sarkar's death has drawn tributes that sometimes paint him as a saint. He was a sharp polemicist who argued that historians must serve democratic and secular values. The more useful test is whether his brand of rigorous, evidence-based social history can survive in campuses where political loyalty now often trumps scholarship. Will the next generation defend his scientific temper as fiercely as he defended it against communal narratives?
Sources (2): thehindu.com, timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
