What ITIHAAS changed for me..

This piece dates back to June 2009. I had drafted it as a short speech I was asked to deliver at the first annual ITIHAAS Educational Summit.

It was during a ‘walk’ to the Red Fort on a chilly January morning that I had my first interaction with ITIHAAS. We’d been taken there on a school trip and, in spite of the obvious sense of excitement, didn’t know what exactly to expect and just stood ogling at the imposing facade of the fort. The resource person soon arrived and asked us to gather around her as she stood facing us on the embankment of a tree.

The lady, with folded arms and a friendly but distinctly no non-sense demeanor, promised to take us on a journey down the lanes of history. Our skeptic attitude towards anything to do with history gradually melted away as her details and stories, peppered with her impeccable expertise in reaching out to us, turned from interesting to impressive to enthralling.

What caught up with most of us was the sheer innovativeness associated with the entire exercise as we walked from stop to stop within the fort. Delectable snippets of history, talking of unimaginable grandeur, riches and luxury seemed to be oozing out of every nook and cranny of Shahjahan’s sprawling abode. It was incredible to see how much of history and legends lay hidden within the confines of the red sandstone monument which, as we were later told, was originally called the Quila-i-Mubarak.

We finally came out content and a lot more enlightened about our city’s glorious past. This is what a friend of mine had to say about the resource person after we were through with our walk, “How I wish I had a Social Studies teacher like her back in the middle school. Studying history wouldn’t have been that nightmarish then…” We all agreed.

 I had been planning a novel based on Delhi around then and felt that the lady might help me with the research work. I gathered the courage to approach her with my intentions and she, after giving it some thought, handed me her visiting card. It carried a logo in a crayon-etch pattern that read ‘ITIHAAS’ with ‘Smita Vats, Director’ printed below it. It was the start of a journey that has proved to be thoroughly enriching for me.

What I managed to imbibe during the three hour trip with ITIHAAS was just a brief trailer of the whole lot of other things that the organization stands for. What impresses me the most is the fact that the aim of its walks is not just to state the mundane historical details associated with the sites but to make the students connect to them. It’s the story behind the structures and the way it’s influenced our culture and society that actually manages to seep into the young minds. For instance, it was only through the walks that I came to know how the dewans with arched openings entered the Indian architectural style. It was what the Mughals ended up creating when they tried to reproduce in stone the tents that they had a fixation for dwelling in, owing to their west Asian nativity. I now understand why a watered-down version of the dewan became a part of the baithak in my ancestral house.

One of the statements often used by Smita ma’am during her walks and which I’ve myself come to adore after all these days of being associated with ITIHAAS is, “There’s nothing great about being a tourist in your city and a foreigner in your own country..” It pretty much sets the stage for the endeavors of ITIHAAS. The idea is to bridge the gap that has emerged between today’s youngsters and the traditional Indian culture that they mostly feel alienated to. It is usually the first time for many of the students of Delhi that they step into a conventional Muslim locality when they walk with us through the lanes of Chandni Chowk, eating langar at the Sisganj Gurudwara , discovering Ghalib’s poetic legacy sitting in his haveli at Ballimaran and treating themselves to bowls of sewaiyyan  in traditional Muslim households on Eid.. Needless to say, they all savor the many lovely flavors that the experience offers..

One of the images from ITIHAAS that have stayed with me is of Smita ma’am squatting beside the Imam Sahib of the historical Fatehpuri Mosque, her dupatta wrapped around her head as a sign of respect, as the religious exponent interacts with the children who’re visiting the mosque as a part of their trip. How often do students get a chance to meet a person of his stature and get answers to their queries pertaining to the religion that he represents? Rarely… ITIHAAS, through its initiatives, provides the students a gateway to a world that they live in close proximity with but seldom get to understand in its entirety.

I’m sometimes asked by people, whom I talk to about my experiences with ITIHAAS, how this work is different from that done by the sundry tourist guides who swarm outside the various historical sites.

 My answer lies in the fact that the sole motive behind ITIHAAS’ programs is to educate the young Indians about their country’s rich tradition and heritage, make them connect with its past that’s shaped its present and ultimately  help them turn out as citizens who’re better informed about their roots and more considerate towards it. In fact, this very idea is reiterated by Smita Ma’am during her walks when she chides the badly-behaving kids, reminding them that they’ve not come on a picnic but are studying outside the class.

What made me return to ITIHAAS after walking with it as a student was the prospect of being a part of such a unique endeavor. It’s helped me perceive my country and its culture in a whole new shade - a shade that makes it look endearingly exceptional. I have been providing my creative assistance to its various projects under the guidance of Ms Vats and every time I see a kid come out smiling from a walk or an orientation conducted by ITIHAAS, I feel that I’ve done my tiny bit to help our heritage and culture acquire a renewed sheen. I wish all the luck to ITIHAAS for everything that it’s going to venture into in the near future.

Thank You!