Whatsapp University, as it is popularly called, currently dominates the scene in shaping popular perceptions. Academic historians who burn the midnight oil to produce scientifically accurate versions of history are labelled with derogatory tags. Their oeuvre is bypassed by the dominant political tendency. The worrying point is that this tool has become crucial in shaping social perception, and it is being used unabashedly by those who have a retrograde political agenda of Hindutva or Hindu Nationalism.

The point surfaced recently when a historian, William Dalrymple, whose books have gained some popularity recently, concluded in a chat with journalists that "…as a result, you've got the growth of 'WhatsApp History' and 'WhatsApp University.' It was the failure of Indian academics to reach out to general audiences."

According to him, this "failure of the Indian academics" is why misplaced perceptions have gained traction. Some of them are: Aryans were the original inhabitants of this land, 'we' had all the scientific knowledge and things like pushpak viman (aeroplanes), plastic surgery, genetic engineering, and what have you were prevalent in India. Similarly, this is also the source of the 'social common sense' that Islam and Christianity are 'foreign religions,' Muslim kings destroyed Hindu temples and wrought immense atrocities against Hindus, including spreading Islam by force. To add to the list, Gandhi was anti-Hindu; India did not get freedom due to the national movement led by Gandhi. These misconceptions have become embedded in the minds of most Indians.

Though this narrative has only recently started airing in social media, it has been festering in the womb of political tendency, Hindu Communalism, represented mainly by RSS and later backed up by its progeny. During the freedom struggle, the dominant narrative was articulated by an inclusive national movement. It was understood that India was a 'nation in the making.' This was in contrast to the narration of a marginal gaggle of Hindu nationalists at the time, who held that Hindus are a nation from times immemorial. On the other hand, Muslim nationalists held that the Muslim nation began with Mohammad bin Kasim ruling Sindh in the eighth century.

The roots of communal history lay in books like those of James Mill (History of India), popularised by the British, which divided Indian history into the Hindu, the Muslim and the British periods. Along similar lines, there was a multi-volume Elliot and Dawson's "History of India as told by her Historians." Both these were based on the notion that kings were representatives of their religion. Hindu communal history began its march at RSS shakha baudhiks and later picked up through various conduits like Saraswati Shishu Mandirs, Ekal Vidyalays, their unofficial mouthpieces, Organiser, Panchjanya etc. After Lal Krishna Advani became the Information and Broadcasting Minister in the Janata Party Government, the narrative began infiltration using the Government machinery.

There are signs that RSS volunteers are out to change the complete education system and the content of history, social science and other subjects. A set of nine books authored by Mr Dinanath Batra of Shiksha Bachao Abhiyan Samiti (Save Education Campaign Committee), an RSS affiliate, have been translated into Gujarati and introduced in 42,000 schools in Gujarat. The takeover of major media houses by the BJP-friendly corporations (Adani, Ambani) converted the totality of the mainstream media into the lapdogs of the BJP. Engineered by their IT cells, WhatsApp has also become an influential channel for their narratives. The best analysis of this one can be seen in Swati Chaturvedi's book, "I am a troll."

Academic historians have also written for school textbooks and general readers. The most popular among the books by Romila Thapar relates to Ancient Indian History. Irfan Habib has done significant work in Medieval History, and Bipan Chandra's 'India's Struggle for Independence' has gone through multiple reprints and editions. Many of these scientifically accurate books were part of the NCERT syllabus in the 1980s. As the BJP came to power in 1998, it began the 'saffronisation of education,' which became much stronger after the BJP came to full majority in 2014. Now, there is talk of introducing this pseudo-history and mythology as actual history in a full-fledged way.

Popular perceptions are rarely shaped by academic historians. The political tendencies that dominate or rule the country mainly shape perceptions among large parts of society. Noam Chomsky, the linguist involved with human rights activism, propounded the concept of 'Manufacturing Consent.' He articulates that it is the state governments that manufacture popular opinions like the invasion of Vietnam or Iraq or other policies are for the benefit of the society. Despite outstanding contributions by historians, the truth remains in shadows, and the avarice of the state or dominant political tendency shapes popular common sense.

While one appreciates Dalrymple's concern about the totally irrational understanding propagated by WhatsApp, the real issue is that Right Wing politics ascended and spread its wings very cleverly. Their constructed history has nothing to do with rational or academic history. A concerted attack has been unleashed against those who pursue the true discipline of history, particularly in our country. The once fellow traveller of BJP, Arun Shourie, wrote a book against the historians of global repute and appreciated by their peers, 'The Eminent Historians.' Even now, many present a distorted version of history and unleash barrages against those who do not subscribe to Hindu Nationalism.

In a sense, WhatsApp has only added to the existing mechanisms of Hindu nationalism's propaganda. More political and social groups have to come forward to popularise the work of rational scientific historians. They need to act as bridges between actual historians and the people to ensure that the social common sense and social perceptions are based on values of inclusiveness, scientific temper and Indian Nationalism. So far as academic historians can volunteer to write school books or more popular tracks, we should be grateful to them. WhatsApp's success is more due to the rise of communal politics rather than the failure of academic historians.