Pinarayi Vijayan says MGS defended history against attempts at appropriation by the rightwing

File photo of M.G.S. Narayanan, the then Director General of Centre for Heritage Studies
| Photo Credit: The Hindu Archives

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has expressed his condolences over the passing away of historian M.G.S. Narayanan.

In a message on Saturday, the Chief Minister said although he was a staunch critic of the Left at one point, he subsequently defended history from the right-wing that wanted to appropriate it.

In 2015, MGS spoke out in the strongest terms against the growing intolerance under the current dispensation at the Centre. He was vocal in supporting MT Vasudevan Nair who became the target of a hate campaign on criticising demonetisation, the Chief Minister said.

MGS, he said, made invaluable contributions to Indian historical research. His search for historical objects, their comprehensive analysis, and scientific interpretation set him apart from others.

MGS opened a new window on history writing that was different from that of administrators and language experts. Many prominent historians later travelled this path. Instead of dismissing myths altogether, he analysed their social significance and tried to make them a part of history.

MGS played a huge role in shaping history and history writing into a knowledge domain, the Chief Minister said.