Roots of democracy can be traced in India to fourth century: Dharmendra Pradhan

The roots of democracy in India can be traced to the fourth century and stone inscriptions of Thanjavur are a living testimonial of the same, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Thursday. Indias civilisational ethos is one of the original sources of democracy contrary to the narrative set by the western world.

The roots of democracy in India can be traced to the fourth century and stone inscriptions of Thanjavur are a living testimonial of the same, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Thursday. Pradhan made the comments while launching a book titled ''India: The Mother of Democracy'' with Raghuvendra Tanwar, Chairperson, Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) and Umesh Ashok Kadam, Member Secretary, ICHR. ''India's civilisational ethos is one of the original sources of democracy contrary to the narrative set by the western world. Evidences of societal systems that were at place during the Kalinga and Lichchhavi period also speak volumes about the democratic DNA of India.

''Roots of democracy can be traced in India from as early as the 4th century. The stone inscriptions of Thanjavur are a living testimonial of the same. The society that does not take pride in its civilisational prowess cannot think and achieve big,'' Pradhan said in his address. The minister complimented ICHR and the scholars who have made an attempt to ''present an evidence-based account of the origins and ideals of Indian democracy for challenging the western narrative''. ''India is a land of Buddha and Gandhi. India's ethos and values always stand for global good. I am sure this book will encourage healthy debates on India's democratic legacy and inspire next generations to cherish our timeless ethos,'' he said.