Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani slammed Guha for his offensive Twitter post

Bengaluru : Prominent historian Ramchandra Guha, in a controversial twitter post, quoting British writer Phillip Spratt about Bengal and Gujarat way back in the 1930s. Guha put forward a divisive tweet calling Gujarat a ‘Culturally backward province’ as compared to Bengal.

In his tweet, Ramchandra Guha wrote “Gujarat, though economically advanced, is culturally a backward province … Bengal in contrast is economically backward but culturally advanced ” – Philip Spratt, writing in 1939.

Guha cites British writer Spratt’s 1939 quote where he claims, in pre-Independence period, Bengal has strong cultural ethnicity in contrast of Gujarat. He added “In a free India, democratic Gandhism would be put to its most difficult test. It might be that the non-violent way towards a civilized society would prove itself. It is perhaps more likely that an effective dictatorship of the right would be set up … Philip Spratt, 1939 ”

However, after such divisive tweet from Guha, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani slammed the historian and said “Earlier it was the British who tried to divide and rule. Now it is a group of elites who want to divide Indians. Indians won’t fall for such tricks. Gujarat is great, Bengal is great… India is united. Our cultural foundation are strong, our economic aspirations are high”

Earlier it was the British who tried to divide and rule. Now it is a group of elites who want to divide Indians.

Indians won’t fall for such tricks.

Gujarat is great, Bengal is great…India is united.

Our cultural foundations are strong, our economic aspirations are high. https://t.co/9mCuqCt7d1

— Vijay Rupani (@vijayrupanibjp) June 11, 2020

Reacting on the massive controversy generated by his tweet , the historian said he shares quote found during his research which he finds arresting .

Statutory warning; when I post quotes by others found in the course of my research, I do so because I find them arresting in some way. I may (or may not) endorse, in part or in whole, what I am quoting. Reserve your praise or your anger for the ghost of the person being quoted.

— Ramachandra Guha (@Ram_Guha) June 11, 2020

He tweeted ” Statutory warning, when I post quotes by others found in the course of my research, I do so because I find them arresting in some way. I may (or may not) endorse, in part or in whole, what I am quoting. Reserve your praise or your anger for the ghost of the person being quoted”

If the Gujarat Chief Minister is, at this moment in history, (a) so keenly following the tweets of a humdrum historian and (b) so easily confusing the historian with a dead writer being quoted, the State of Gujarat must indeed be in safe hands.

— Ramachandra Guha (@Ram_Guha) June 11, 2020

In reply to Gujarat CM, Guha said “If the Gujarat Chief Minister is, at this moment in history, (a) so keenly following the tweets of a humdrum historian and (b) so easily confusing the historian with a feaf writer being quoted , the State Gujarat must indeed be in safe hands”

To show cultural heritage of Gujarat, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tweeted “In 1939, when Philip Spratt, from Britain , belonging to the Communist Internationa wrote, (who @Ram_Guha quotes) this was waht was happening in Gujarat: Jamnagar .. Maharaja Jam Sahen Digvijasinhji Jadeja … saved 1000 Polish children #culture”

But, in reply of finance minister Nirmala Sitharam, Guha said “I though it was only the Gujarat CM, but now it seems even the FM is obsessing about a humdrum historian’s tweets. The economy is surely in safe hands”

However, it’s important to know that Philip Spratt was a British Communist and a close confidante of M.N.Roy who is known to have been the founder of the Communist Party of India (CPI) . Spratt was send to India by Moscow based Communist International , to spread communism in India.

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