When History is not History?

History is a thing of the past, literally. 

History is a record of what happened, when it happened and why it happened. For better or worse it is filtered by the prejudices and preferences that define us in the present. What emerges is often a shadow of the truth. The whole truth is locked in the past. Only an unbiased and unfiltered probing into the past can bring us close to the truth. More often than not, "unbiased and unfiltered" are challenging expectations.

Both American historian Henry Glassie and Prime Minister Winston Churchill spoke to this conflation of the past and the present. Glassie noted that “History is not the past but a map of the past, drawn from a particular point of view, to be useful to the modern traveller.” Churchill opined that "For my part, I consider that it will be found much better by all Parties to leave the past to history, especially as I propose to write that history." 

History for both Glassie and Churchill would be neither unbiased nor unfiltered.

What has happened cannot be made to unhappen. It may be clouded, ignored or deliberately hidden. Nonetheless, happenings and their impact in their own time have a way of surfacing again, reminding us that our present is rooted in our past. Just as a tree is anchored by its roots, our present is anchored by our past. Our history gives meaning to our present. 

State actors of all descriptions, from autocratic dictators to manipulative politicians, want to bend history to their desired goals. They seek to make history subservient to their own aims and their own ends. They might vainly think that they are responding to the times they are in by tuning their perception of history to what is best for their populace. They may seem to succeed, but not for long.

Imagine a fine piece of art, and remove one single color from it. You could barely look at it for want of authenticity and appeal to the senses. Imagine blurring or removing a single strand from the palette of history, and you will be left with a meaningless caricature. 

These are the times we live in, bending history to our will. But, in the end history will prevail, notwithstanding manipulation by autocratic dictators or manipulative politicians.