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Romila Thapar's Memoir: Gardening Life and History

Romila Thapar's Memoir: Gardening Life and History
Just as she shaped her garden, she struggled to shape her personal life · thestatesman.com

Romila Thapar's memoir is like a garden she tends to, filled with her memories, experiences, and thoughts.

She talks about her life growing up in different Indian cities, her time in London where she studied Indian history, and her interactions with many scholars.

She also shares her ideas about writing history and her dislike for the Hindutva ideology.

However, some important events and issues, like the Indo-China war and the Dalit question, are missing from her memoir.

The book gives us a look into the life and thoughts of an important Indian historian, but it also shows some gaps in her understanding of current social realities.

Key facts

Author
Romila Thapar
Memoir Length
Around 700 pages
Key Focus
Indian history, society, and personal experiences
Critique Target
Hindutva ideology
Educational Background
Research degree in Ancient India
Influences
Nehru, Black authors, Ismat Chugtai, Simone de Beauvoir, T. S. Eliot
Institutional Affiliation
Jawaharlal Nehru University
Notable Absences
Discussion on Indo-China war, Indo-Pak wars, Kashmir genocide, Dalit question

Sources

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