To present the multi-disciplinary research that is taking place which debunks the Aryan Invasion Theory, Pragna Bharati and Indic Academy organized a day-long national seminar for academics, writers and intellectuals `Bharat beyond Aryan Invasion Myth’ on 7thDec 2019 at ISB, Hyderabad. In the light of recent discoveries and mounting evidence against the Aryan Invasion theory, writing by opinion-makers have become more strident. RakhigarhiDNA analysis, excavations from Sanauli and Keezhadi, more evidence on river Saraswathi and other multi-sectoral evidences from the fields of geological studies, DNA studies and Genetics, paleobotanical studies, hydrological studies are all adding to the strengthening of research in Indology. Severalwell-known historians, archaeologists, geneticists, linguists presented the multi-faceted research happening in the last few years.
European historical context of Aryan Invasion Myth
Author and professor Dr JoydeepBagchee presented a brilliant analysis on the `Historical context of the early origins of Aryan Invasion Myth’, and how German Christian theologists like Schlegel brothers, Christian Lassen mischievously created the Aryan-Dekhanistic divide and also postulated that Aryan homeland is Caspian sea and later positioned it towards Bactria. Benes created the hitherto unknown racial entity `aryan’. Just as old testament is absorbed into `new testament’, the church’s theological move played into Hinduism, sowing seeds of long-standing conspiracy that created havoc for more than three centuries in India. The process of delegitimization of India’s own history continued, and false narratives were created which further degenerated into `racial’ and `linguistic’ studies. Keynote speaker, author Dr Michel Daninofrom IIT Gandhinagar, presenting on `The return of Aryan myth’ spoke about the eight approaches thru which the AIT can be unraveled- linguistic, geographical, archaeological, cultural, bio-anthropological, archaeo-genetic, archaeo-astronomical and linguistic and gave indepth details of these approaches. He also pointed out that some European scholars like Edmund Leach have said long ago that Aryan invasions have never happened at all. Keynote speaker, Dr K. Thangaraj, from CCMB Hyderabad gave a detailed presentation on `Chronicle of Indian Sub-continent- Genomic perspectives’ mapping the routes various population groups have taken out of Africa millions of years ago. He said India is a veritable `ethnic museum’ with 4635 well-defined population groups and 532 tribal groups.
Linguistic Evidence
Reputed authors and thinkers Dr Shrikant Talageri and Dr KoenraadElst speaking on `Linguistics and Comparative Mythology’ explained the various false theories constructed over the mythical `Aryan homeland’ based on the affinity of Sanskrit with many European languages, this homeland trajectory moved from Caucasian to bactria and so on, in their desperation to place it as closer to Europe as possible. Max Mueller in league with missionaries thought it to be Caspian sea area, whereas the gigantic demographic of India cannot be connected to thinly populated groups of central asia. Linguistics can be shown not to exclude, even mildly support Out of India theory. Dr Talageri based on his vast work stated that till 1813, there was no theory that Aryans is a separate race, and infact OIT was the original theory. Later on British missionaries working in India, distorted the truth by a fraudulent exercise and constructed a hypothetical PIE, from which they generated AIT. Contrary to AIT, all known evidences establish the truth of OIT, and also proves that northern India was the original homeland of all the 12 branches of Indo-european languages till 3000BCE, and then migrations out of India started and languages have separated . All including extinct languages are mentioned in the Vedas and puranas. He said AIT supporters are now depending on genetics whereas there is no connection of languages with genetic ancestry.
Archaeological Evidence
Dr Vasant Shinde of Deccan college who headed the Rakhigarhi study gave an elaborate presentation on the Sindhu -Saraswati basin andwhat the DNA analysis of rakhigarhi reveals. He said the samples don’t reveal any genetic signatures from Iranian or steppes related ancestry. Intermixing didn’t happen till 1000BCE. Harappans moved towards west asia;vedic knowledge, agricultureare all totally indigenous and not brought from outside. The cultural sequencing of the beginnings of a settled life, domestication of animals, wheat and barley farming, ornamentation are all found, whether in Mehergarh or Rakhigarhi, with over 2/3 settlements located in Saraswati basin. Dhola- vira is a good example and completely corroborates the three-layered towns and fire altars that Rigveda mentions. Rakhigarhi DNA sample proves that there has been no change in the ancestry in the last 12000 years. Dr BS Harishankar, member o IIAS, Shimla gave a detailed presentation on Keezhadi, excavation site near Madurai, TN, and explained the chronology of AIT conspiracy from 19th century to present day, and the involvement of church bishops from earlier times till now, and about the key collaborators of the `breaking India’ controversy in the present day, he said these persons are deliberately trying to sabotage the findings around Keezhadi and another site, Pattanam. Some of the key conspirators are found to have links with banned terrorist organization LTTE in the past, as per US Intelligence reports.
Genetics Evidence
Dr PremendraPriyadarshi gave a presentation on Genetics evidence, tracing the lineages of trees and how the terms are found to be applied to other plant forms when population groups were traversing out of India, taking with them wheat farming from Indus valley. He cautioned researchers that many western linguistics, archaeology and genetics are being wrongly used and misused by the AIT theorists to stick to their notions. It is now known that migration was westwards and atleast one of the two Turkish wheat types is from India. Also some tribes like munda, santhals went eastwards to SE Asia. Dr Sudarshan and Dr Murali cautioning on the flawed models employed by AIT and said that even mathematical statistical modeling proves them wrong. What it means for a migrant population to come to another place and influence their gene pool? To have a 50% gene influence in a native pool, equal number of people with a different gene pool should migrate, it is not possible that steppes with a cold desert climate could sustain a five million population of Indus- saraswati. They cautioned about misuse of data collection, genetics and software analytical tools.
Literary Evidence
Dr Ashok Aklujkar from British Columbia university, Canada said that systematic neglect of good publications like `Aryan problem’ and total silence on wider evidence refuting the AIT is unpardonable and unethical. In Rigveda or any other texts, there are no references to any `Aryans’ coming from outside. The nadistuti from rigveda which is referred to, actually gives the perspective of a stable and an organized society, and arya is not a word of any particular group of people, but simply denotes a respectable person. Dasais a geographical term, from word `daha’ denoting a region from the east. People are creating unnecessary bogeys instead of sticking to simpler meanings, too much of complications by `neo-grammarians’ is unwarranted. Prof Nagaraj Paturi said texts have folklore, narrations, tribal lore, stories and so on, and Indologists are indulging in `historical critical analysis’ from texts like Rigveda, which is not possible. We are forcing the texts, and people living with the texts to enter a contest and fight historical questions from literary texts. The texts are self-conscious and tell us how to interpret them in a tradition which is rich in methodology and context, he cautioned scholars not to indulge in this kind of analysis.
Shri Nandkumar, National convenor, Pragnapravah in the valedictory session stated that, it is necessary to discuss AIT as it is dividing and destroying the nation. It is essentially a politico-theological problem, which attained historical racial linguistic proportions, and is ever-present in academics to divide the society. He reminded that Swami Vivekananda and Maharshi Arabindo have specifically written about the false Aryan issue over a hundred years ago, and said it is necessary today to continue the discourse by exposing the falsely promoted theories. The organizers felicitated all the speakers for their excellent contributions throughout the day. The very important seminar was attended by historians, scholars and a large number of students.
Report of National Seminar held on 7th December 2019 in Hyderabad.
