Renowned Historian Sumit Sarkar Dies At 87; Pioneering Scholar Who Recast India's Freedom Struggle & Challenged Conventional Narratives
New Delhi: Noted historian Sumit Sarkar has died at his Delhi residence from age-related ailments, historian and family friend G Arunima told PTI. He was 87. Also Watch: "Professor Sarkar was unwell for a long time, but for some time now, he had been suffering with age-related issues. He was not publicly active, since he had a fall some years ago," Arunima said. Sarkar, who died on Thursday, is…
Renowned historian Sumit Sarkar has passed away at the age of 87, succumbing to age-related ailments in his Delhi residence. His wife, Tanika Sarkar, and son, Aditya Sarkar, are among those who mourn his loss. Born in 1939, Sarkar studied at Presidency College, Calcutta, and the University of Calcutta. He embarked on his teaching career as a lecturer at the University of Calcutta and later as a reader at the University of Burdwan, eventually settling at the University of Delhi.
His groundbreaking works, such as "The Swadeshi Movement in Bengal," "Modern India: 1885–1947," and "Writing Social History," cemented his reputation as an authoritative scholar. A Marxist historian, Sarkar was a founding member of the Subaltern Studies Collective but later critiqued it. He received prestigious awards, including the Sarit Chatterjee Memorial Award and the Rabindra Puraskar.
Sarkar's memory is being honored by a deluge of tributes from fellow historians, scholars, and public figures who lauded his contributions to understanding India's freedom struggle and the struggles of ordinary people.
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