As HindU nAtionAlism grows, so does interest in delHi’s mUslim History

ChriStian SCienCe Monitor

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An A S k H A n pauses outside a 16th-century jewel of an islamic tomb in the Mehrauli Archaeological Park and draws in his audience

“Delhi from its beginnings was a city of culture, of unity, and tolerance among many different people it was a city whose great gift to the world was Urdu,” he tells the group of 35 Delhiites and other indians “A beautiful language that took form from the mixing of the Arabic and Farsi and other languages those different people spoke ”

Up to this point, the youthful Delhi historian’s walking tour has been a straight recounting of the origins of the medieval city that would become india’s capital –with a few tales of jinns, or genies, and unrequited royal love thrown in to hold everyone s interest But now Mr khan shifts to the present “That Delhi of unity and tolerance is disappearing; we are losing its richness and the lessons it can teach us he says As a few nods spread across his group, he concludes, “i hope you will share some of the stories you heard of our common history and help preserve our heritage for the future ”

Blossoming interest in the city’s roots as a mosaic of cultures and religions – especially among Delhi s young and cosmopolitan population – can be seen in everything from the newfound “hot” status of historical neighborhoods like Mehrauli to the rising popularity of local history blogs and walking tours like Mr khan’s

Historians and sociologists say the wave of interest is at least in part a response to growing Hindu nationalism, discrimination against the country’s large Muslim minority, and intolerance of “outside” influences Some argue it signals a shift in how indians view their history – as something that should be respected, examined, and learned from “For a long time, people weren’t interested in history or they buried it as a way to shut out the sad and painful parts of india’s past ” says Aanchal Malhotra an oral historian who has specialized in chronicling average indians experiences during the country s 1947 Partition “But what we’re seeing now is something different: more people drawn to history as a way to under- stand how we are a product of many different cultures and influences,” she adds “To some extent that understanding can help to counter the intolerance and rejection of others we see occurring today

MEHRAULI CALLING: That desire to counter rising intolerance and marginalization with the help of history is one reason Zain Patel signed on to the Mehrauli archaeological tour The young software engineer from Mumbai says he purposely chose to spend a few hours of a work trip to Delhi visiting some of the oldest areas of the city

“i absolutely think more indians are wanting to know more about the very old mix of cultures that made us who we are ” he says “nationalism and thinking we are the product of one main culture is more prevalent and it s spreading, but i think knowing the truth about our past is one small way to stand up to the hatred ”

Yet for some skeptics, the small slice of the population with interest in history will never match the large majority who are indifferent and susceptible to alternative versions of Delhi’s heritage i f a n y t h i n g , t h e r e s a g r o w i n g c h a s m b e t w e e n t h e s m a l l p e r c e n t a g e w h o t a k e a n i n t e r e s t i n h i s t o r y a n d v a l u e o u r c u l t u r a l i n f l u e n c e s , a n d t h e m a n y w h o j u s t d o n t c a r e , s a y s e k t a C h a u h a n , a n o r a l h i s t o r i a n w h o f o c u s e s o n S o u t h D e l h i s h i s t o r i c a l M u s l i m n e i g h b o r h o o d s it’s almost certainly no coincidence that one of the focal points of this multicultural heritage boom is Mehrauli, a neighborhood in the south of the capital that hugs the vestiges of Delhi’s first major islamic constructions built nearly a millennium ago

The neighborhood’s 12th-century minaret Qutub Minar towers over streets increasingly dominated by bookshops art galleries indian designer boutiques and trendy restaurants that both reflect and cater to the growing young professional class

For many of these young people work and high-rise

A master crisis manager

apartment living is in Gurgaon, a satellite city on new Delhi’s eastern flank where the offices of high-tech companies and other multinationals are clustered But for others, it s the historical and culturally rich districts like Mehrauli that are calling “i dare say Gurgaon is in some ways more cosmop o l i t a n t h a n M e h r a u l i , b u t i t c a n a l s o f e e l a b i t l i k e Dubai ” says Chiranjiv Sawhney who works at Apple i n G u rg a o n b u t r e c e n t l y m o v e d w i t h h i s w i f e t o Mehrauli, where he s made a point of going on a couple of walking tours “We were drawn to the history the culture, and parks That was something Delhi offered, he says evidence suggests Mr Sawhney is not alone A variety of Delhi historical websites have popped up in recent years, while social media postings on local history and heritage have mushroomed – including on TikTok where young users are feeding the growth M r k h a n c i t e s h i s U n z i p D e l h i w e b s i t e , w h i c h grew out of the first walking tours he started conducti n g i n 2 0 1 8 Vi s i t s t o h i s h i s t o r i c a l s t o r y t e l l i n g s i t e took off once lockdown ended – and, Mr khan surmises as acts of cultural intolerance and anti-minority violence spiked again Unzip Delhi’s instagram page now has more than 130,000 followers The restarted (and expanded) walking tours each limited to 50 participants, usually sell out

“For sure, part of the growth after the pandemic was just from people desperate to get out and do things again says Mr khan “But there’s also this hunger people have to understand where Delhi came from and how that past relates to events and trends in our society today

FALSE NARRATIVES CREEP IN: That upbeat outlook on Delhi s history boom is not shared by all even among the city’s growing number of oral historians “i hear the argument that more people are interested in history and our multicultural roots but i think it s more wishful thinking than true, says Ms Chauhan, who focuses on khirki village just east of Mehrauli – one of the 350 “historical villages” she says are scattered around urban Delhi When i do my historical walks i get 25 to 30 people, and i think, ‘Wow, this is amazing!’” she says “But then i think, ‘Really, how many people can i reach like this? even if you are generous and say 1% are really interested in knowing and und e r s t a n d i n g c u l t u r a l i n f l u e n c e s , t h a t s t i l l l e a v e s t h e mass that doesn t care – or worse, accepts the fake versions of our past ”

Ms Chauhan cites the case of khirki Mosque, an imposing 14th-century structure located down sinewy alleyways in khirki village Over recent years as relations between india’s Hindu majority and Muslim minority have deteriorated, the neighborhood s perception of its signature monument has changed as well she says Stories that the building was built as a fort and was never a mosque are gaining ground “ i g r e w u p h e r e a n d i ’ v e s e e n t h i s c h a n g e i n t h e n e i g h b o r h o o d a n d i n m y o w n f a m i l y f r o m c a r i n g f o r t h i s s i t e t o t r e a t i n g i t w i t h i n d i ff e r e n c e a n d e v e n d i sp a r a g i n g i t f o r b e i n g s o m e o n e e l s e ’s h e r i t a g e ” s a y s M s C h a u h a n , w h o d e s c r i b e s h e r f a m i l y a s u p p e rc a s t e H i n d u

For Mr khan of Unzip Delhi the growing interest in his walking tours and history-themed blogs is not just a flash in the pan but evidence that more people want to know about the past as a way to celebrate the cultural variety that makes their city what it is

To that end, he says the themes and messaging of his walks have shifted as the tours have returned postpandemic “During the pandemic i tried to include stories of hope and perseverance from the past, to say, like people back then we ll get through this and be back together soon,’” he says “now i tell more stories of love and community as a way to stand up to the hatred growing around us

Un l i k e The Man Who Ran Washington: The life and Times of James A Baker iii from Peter Baker and Susan Glasser, Diana Villiers negroponte’s Master negotiator: The Role of James A Baker iii at the end of the Cold War focuses on James Baker ’s time as secretary of state rather than his entire career in Washington By focusing on this phase of Baker s career negroponte still presents a thorough and rigorous analysis

The title of negroponte’s book nicely sums up her work Her first four segments explore questions and themes related to James Baker ’s overall time as secretary of state She explores the real goal for the foreign policy review initiated by the national Security Council and how it affected all aspects of President George H W Bush’s administration; the challenges of German reunification and Germany s admission to the north Atlantic Treaty Organization (nATO); the response of the United States to the June 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre; and the aftermath of Saddam Hussein s August 1990 invasion of kuwait negroponte focuses her three remaining themes on issues about the Soviet Union and the end of communism in europe She analyzes the challenges and issues the Baltics, Yugoslavia, and Ukraine presented; the Bush administration s reaction to the failed coup against President Mikhail Gorbachev; and the tense negotiations with the Soviet Union, and later Russia, over American loans and credits

Throughout the book, negroponte depicts Baker as a secretary of state who negotiated strong and impressive deals with a variety of nations regarding security loans and other issues of international and national security Through the title and her methodology, the author tries to show Baker as a master negotiator One of the best examples is through his support for the north American Free Trade Agreement (nAFTA) Yet, Baker was not able to successfully negotiate a settlement of issues related to israel and Palestine, to prevent the disintegration of Yugoslavia into ethnic warfare, or to avoid problems concerning iraq after the Gulf War or those connected to the Tiananmen Square massacre For some incidents, like Tiananmen Square, Baker deferred to President Bush to address the crisis For the others mentioned Baker made attempts, but crises in these regions continued for years or even decades afterward The author attempts to show that Baker did all in his power to resolve or prevent these crises; his inability to solve them, however, undermines the depiction of him as a master negotiator

The narrative that negroponte depicts of Baker s time as secretary of state resembles not so much a master negotiator, but rather a master crisis manager The author depicts the numerous challenges Baker and the United States faced between 1989 and August 1992 when Baker left the State Department to become Chief of Staff to George H W Bush The Gulf War, Tiananmen Square, the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of communism in europe, the Middle east peace process, and the ethnic fighting that erupted in Yugoslavia were just some of the challenges that Baker faced With these, and other challenges, the author presents Baker as a capable and able secretary of state Yet, the limitations Baker sometimes faced in trying to get parties to negotiate in Yugoslavia and in the Middle east, for example are expertly described by the author and illustrate how it was sometimes not possible for Baker to juggle and balance the interests of the parties involved to achieve a negotiated settlement negroponte, rather than depicting a master negotiator presents an able member of Bush s administration working to implement his policies, but facing limits, even at the height of America’s power and prestige at the end of the Cold War and America s victory in the first Gulf War negroponte conducted significant research in writing this book with ample sources cited that include interviews, newspapers, books, articles, and other sources The book would be a stronger asset for researchers, however, if it included an index The organization of the book via seven main themes works to focus the reader on some key issues Baker faced as secretary of state The drawback to this thematic approach however is that the chronology of events sometimes gets lost Baker faced multiple challenges at the same time A thematic approach, rather than a chronological one does not illustrate just how many international issues Baker managed concurrently if such a chronological approach had been offered, readers would have a better appreciation for the complex issues and negotiations that Baker had to manage

The style and focus of this book make it a good source for readers wanting an introduction to either the foreign policy of the Bush administration or events leading to the end of the Cold War Stylistically, the book flows in a more journalistic fashion than scholarly This is not to say the work is not rigorous in its sources it is, but it does not read like a typical scholarly work of history negroponte s narration of events is suitable for this work that is covering several major events over four years if, however, readers want more in-depth analysis or detail on a particular event, like Yugoslavia, they should consult other sources even so the amount of information provided by the author is enough to whet readers appetites for more

By focusing this book on Baker s work as secretary of state, the reader gets an in-depth and intense study of one of Baker ’s most public works in government service

The author does provide some interesting personal vignettes, especially between Baker and Soviet Foreign Minister edward Shevardnadze, and how Baker organized the State Department when he became secretary

The focus of this work, however, is his public, foreign policy contributions This is not a book that focuses on Baker s private life or life before or after becoming secretary of state This is not meant as a criticism, but if a reader wishes a more fully biographical study on James Baker they should consult other sources This study is a solid work into the accomplishments and events faced by secretary of state James Baker during a complicated and tumultuous time in history

Javan David Frazier is Professor of History at Middle Georgia State University-Cochran Campus Dr Frazier s academic interests are in the Cold War and particularly U S -South African nuclear relations

Master Negotiator: The Role of James A Baker III at the End of the Cold War Diana Villiers Negroponte Bloomington IN: Archway Publishing 2020

Corporate Corner

Sanofi's business in Pakistan to be led by Pakistani Consor tium

ISLAMABAD: Sanofi Aventis Pakistan Limited's management shares will be acquired by a consortium led by the Packages Group and includes the Arshad Ali Gohar Group The group's association with Sanofi spans over five decades Syed Babar Ali, the founder of Packages Limited, has been guiding Sanofi-Aventis Pakistan Limited for over half a century since its inception in 1967 as Hoechst Pakistan He is the current Chairman of the company and Packages Limited has been a long-time respected local partner Over the past couple of years, Sanofi has been evaluating its international footprint Their long-term strategic roadmap seeks to simplify international operations while retaining a presence and interest locally According to Sanofi’s Head of Corporate Affairs, Laila Khan, "Sanofi is not exiting the Pakistan market pr