I read with interest a news feature in the newspapers that a NGO with the financial help from the government of Greece and with the assistance of historians and archaeologists of Pakistan is building a monument in the honour of Alexander ‘the Great’. The plan and efforts of those who are involved in the project indicate the lack of historical consciousness in our society. Without any realization, we are glorifying an invader and aggressor who brought devastation and immense sufferings to people and country. First of all to call a conqueror or murderer of people ‘Great’ is not only lack of historical consciousness but also lack of sensitivity. It is a wrong concept of history to admire and adore those who caused destruction and destroyed peace by invading countries to plunder and loot the wealth.

There was time when the historians were the servants to the rulers and, in return of patronage, used to write panegyrics accounts of their patrons and propagate their warlike qualities to such an extent that they became ‘Great’. Warriors were the heroes and bravery was the top most quality for an individual. Those who averse to war were called coward. Adopting this concept of history we are used to call Alexander as the Great? The image of his greatness is imprinted in our mind because the whole account of his Indian invasion is taken from the Greek writers who are sympathetic to him and hostile to the Indians. This naturally creates a positive image of him. He is depicted as the conqueror of the world that defeated all mighty rulers like Darious of Persia and crushed the forces of the Indian Rajas. These conquests gave him a status of ‘Great’. Secondly, the British who, as Europeans, were more interested to admire the conquests of the Greeks and glorify Alexander as the Great conqueror wrote our early history textbooks. To them it was the first European victory over the Asians. They were inspired to emulate him in conquering India.Further; the European historians see the invasion of Alexander as a conflict between East and West. His conquests asserted the claim of European superiority over the Asians and, consequently, justified the colonization of Asian and African countries by the European powers. Reading these textbooks and later on copying from them we borrow the same terms, contents and point of view without critically analyzing it and assessing the negative impact of Greek invasion. It is really surprising that how could we build a building in his memory to celebrate his victories and our humiliation and defeats. To the European, he may be a Great but not to the Indians who suffered as a result of his invasion.

The Indian point of view is beautifully screened in the movie of Sohrab Modi. There is a very moving scene in his film ‘Sikander’. The people of a village were busy in their daily routine of life, working in the fields, spinning cotton, cooking food, and singing and enjoying. All of a sudden the whole scenario changes: the forces of Alexander attack the village, burn housed, kill people, and after looting and plundering leave the village desolate and silent. This was the practice of the Great heroes in history. A filmmaker tells what our historians failed to tell.

 When in 1992, the Americans made an elaborate programme to celebrate 5oo years of Columbus so called discovery of America, there was a strong protest by the original inhabitants of America to whom the arrival of Columbus and the European was disaster because, as a result of their settlements, the original people were wiped out. Their land was occupied and their resources were exploited for the benefit of new arrivals. It is another story that the European turned America as modern continent. But how history could forget the crimes against native people? History should record it to understand that on what cost the modern and technological giant of America emerged as a super power. The American celebrated the occasion as long as there was no challenge to their point of view and no historical consciousness among the red Indians but as soon as they acquired the knowledge, they protested and put forward their point of view with such conviction and force that the Americans decided to cancel the celebration. On the contrary, the Red Indians’ point of view was widely propagated. The progressive and enlightened historians of America also joined them in their efforts to project the other side of the history

 It happened in the case of Vasco da Gama who reached India in 1498 after discovering the Cape of Good Hope. The Portuguese government planned to celebrate the occasion to pay tribute to their hero in Calicut, India where he first landed. The Indian historians and scholars protested that the discovery of new route brought the Europeans to India which resulted in their colonization and, consequently in their sufferings and humiliation. Realising the gravity of the situation, the Portuguese government cancelled the celebration in India and organized a seminar in Lisbon.

 Keeping in view of these facts, we must desist to use the honorific title of ‘Great’ to the invaders and aggressors. There were in actuality marauders who invaded because of lust of wealth and resources. The country and people suffered as a result of their aggressions. There is also a need to change the concept of history in which only warriors are portrayed as courageous and brave. Instead of glorifying war, there is time to project peace. Moreover, there is no need to waste money in building monuments for the conquerors and celebrate their conquests but to condemn them as violators of culture and enemy of civilization. Only then we could create a positive and healthy consciousness of history.