Irfan Habib denounces ICHR's move to revoke IHC special status

Eminent historian Irfan Habib today criticised the Indian Council of Historical Research's reported decision to revoke the special status of the Indian History Congress (IHC), calling it yet another attempt of the NDA government to curb academic freedom in the country.
Despite such "pressure tactics", the IHC was "strong enough" to withstand such attempts to encroach upon the autonomy of the academia in the country, Habib told PTI.
The IHC, the country's oldest professional body of historians which was founded in 1935, enjoyed special status on matters pertaining to funding of research programmes.
Because of the special status, it was authorised to receive funding for different research projects in excess of what was prescribed for other similar organisations.

According to media reports, the ICHR, under the leadership of former chairman Y S Rao, approved the removal of a special provision that allowed the IHC to receive funds exceeding the fixed ceiling of Rs 5 lakh for its annual conference. The decision was taken on September 23 during the 81st meeting of the general council of ICHR.
Habib termed the ICHR's decision as unfortunate and alleged that it reflected the non-academic policies of the NDA government.

He said the reduction of funds would adversely affect the activities of the IHC, but stressed that the body enjoys such high level of support amongst historians in the country that it would be able to sustain itself despite such "pinpricks".

He said the state had endowed this special privilege to the IHC in view of its size and number of research papers published by it apart from various other activities which it carried out.
The IHC had always enjoyed "high prestige" in the academic world ever since its inception, and that no similar organisation in the country had enjoyed such a high level of recognition in the past, he said.
Habib also said that it was a matter of pride for the academic community of India that such an overwhelmingly large section of the intelligentsia, specially scientists, writers and artists were standing up bravely against attempts to polarise society through divisive politics.