Saraswati valley civilisation was the oldest in the world but for distorian Guha, it is ‘mythology’ and research on it is a waste

The Rig Veda described River Saraswati as ‘one of the seven sisters’, ‘unbroken’, ‘pure in her course from mountain to sea’ and one which ‘breaks through the ridges of the mountains with her strong waves’. The Vedic description of the mighty, pure and holy river is not just a conjured-up myth. Repeated scientific and archaeological studies are continually adding weight to the assertion that the River Saraswati is much more than just a myth. The Wire, however, is not convinced. Along with it, acclaimed distorian Ramachandra Guha feels the Indian government is wasting hundreds of crores on the lost cause of studying and reviving the ancient river.

In a piece oozing with toxic secularism – one Gautam Bhatia while writing for far-left publication, The Wire, argues that the Modi government is pushing down vast amounts of money over a mythological river. The alleged architect begins by saying that the Modi government is focussing solely on Hindu sites of worship and reverence. Whether it be the developmental works of the Chaar Dhaam or the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor – Mr. Bhatia is outraged how mosques, chapels and non-Hindu places of worship are being brazenly deprived of government-funded development.

Bhatia – whose article was shared by Ramachandra Guha on Twitter remarked that “the most recent Hindu project involves the investigation and reestablishment of the ancient river Saraswati, the underground riverbed in north-west India that has suddenly appeared as a promising geological smudge on the Hindu map, and is causing great excitement.” As examples, The Wire claimed that the Modi government wasted no time in setting up the Rs 6 crore Center of Excellence for Research on the Saraswati River (CERSR) at Kurukshetra University. Additionally, it accused the Haryana government of spending another Rs 600 crore for Saraswati-related projects.

Further, Bhatia said, “In order to give credence to the (Saraswati river) theory, a Rs 120-crore Saraswati Heritage Development Board has been set up by the government.” The fundamental premise of this piece by Gautam Bhatia, whose idea was resoundingly echoed by Ramachandra Guha, is that the Saraswati is a figment of Hindus’ imagination – and that it never existed. As such, since Bhatia for The Wire believes that the ancient river is a myth, no research work must be undertaken at the expense of the government to ascertain whether the river existed or not. How scientific is that?

Leftists like Ramachandra Guha and Gautam Bhatia are driven by hatred for Hindu civilisation. They are truly descendants of the British – who on their part as well, worked overtime to discredit India’s magnificent history fearing a cultural awakening among Indians which could lead to their ouster from the country. Now that the Modi government is in power, the same distorians are once again up in arms against any and all research work being done to ascertain at an official level whether the Saraswati river existed. We know it did, but for India to accept it officially, the same must be established by science, which is precisely what the government is trying to do.

Leftists are scared that the rediscovery of the ancient river, or emphatic scientific proof establishing that the Saraswati indeed flowed thousands of years ago would dismantle the Distorian-industry, which has convinced many Indians that the subcontinent’s ancient history (itihaas), is in fact, mythology. The Rig Veda places Saraswati between the rivers Yamuna and Sutlej, which flow to this very day. According to the paper published by R D Oldman, a geologist in the Geographical Survey of India in 1886, the ancient Saraswati was fed by the Yamuna and Sutlej rivers in the past.

In a paper published by premier scientific journal Nature, researchers conclude that 80,000 to 20,000 years ago, the river Ghaggar was perennial and was receiving sediments from the Higher and Lesser Himalayas. Interestingly, several research papers published in the early 1800s identify the Ghaggar-Hakra stream as the erstwhile river Saraswati.

According to a 2016 report of a seven-member expert committee comprising of geologists, archaeologists and hydrologists, led by K.S. Valdiya, the Saraswati river indeed existed. The committee submitted its report to the Union Water Resources Ministry, after which the Modi government started pushing for extensive research and study of the ancient river – known to be the cradle of Bharatiya civilisation. The conclusion of the expert committee was based on a six-month research. During the research, the committee had come across a unique paleochannel relating to the present Sarsuti, Ghaggar, Nara and Hakra rivers.

The committee studied piles of sediments, and found that their features and shapes appeared to have been brought by a big river, much like the Ganga and Yamuna. Vishnu Shridhar Wakankar, the man who discovered Bhimbetka caves and traced the Saraswati River basin, was one of the greatest archaeologists of India. In 1983, Wakankar collaborated with RSS veteran Moropant Pingale and launched Saraswati Search Abhiyan. In their travels across north-western Indian states (Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat), the 18-member team found that Saraswati was Nadimata– the mother of rivers.

Read more: Vishnu Shridhar Wakankar – The man who discovered Bhimbetka caves and traced the Saraswati River

The Saraswati’s flow was through north-western India and it was bigger than any river of modern-day India. The Indus valley civilisation was dependent on Saraswati and as the river dried, the civilisation is said to have shifted to the Ganges. The latest evidence in support of Saraswati River has been produced by joint research between ‘Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) and IIT-Bombay’.

According to the researchers, the ancient Saraswati River flowed through the course of the modern Ghaggar-Hakra River, and there is “unequivocal evidence” to prove the same. The Ghaggar-Hakra River flows through modern-day Haryana, and most of the important sites related to the Indus valley civilisation were found along the course of this river. As per the research, a River flowed from Higher Himalayas between 7,000 BC and 2,500 BC. The Harappans, who laid the foundation of the Indus valley civilisation, built their settlement along this powerful river. The said time period of the Harappan civilisation is considered to be 3,800 BC – 1,900 BC. The Saraswati River’s demise started with the onset of Meghalayan Stage — the current dry phase in the global climate that began about 4,200 years ago.

The Saraswati river, much like the Ram Mandir, is a generational truth in India. Hindus know for a fact that the Saraswati existed. It is the same firm belief of Hindus which has resulted in the Ram Mandir being reclaimed despite herculean odds. Similarly, the river Saraswati too will be rediscovered, and if luck permits, resuscitated. Leftists would have no problem with billions of dollars being spent on extravagant studies relating to non-Indian civilisations. However, studying the Saraswati riverbed has all liberals and India-haters up in arms.

The good thing, however, is that the Modi government is committed to scientifically establishing the existence of the Saraswati river. Where India comes from will dictate where we go as a civilisation, and no vested interest group can stop India from realising the glory of its past so as to mimic the same in the future.