Bharat, that is India: Nationhood & our civilizational imagination - by Sanjeev Sanyal.

Abstract of the talk : While colonial constructs have always denied India its nationhood, the concept of Bharatavarsha has been attested from Vedic times. The land is described as stretching from the Himalayas to the oceans, and the Saraswati River, in particular, holds an important place in defining its culture. The Puranas and the epics also suggest a clear knowledge of the subcontinent’s geography and unity. The talk will elaborate on this and various related issues, such as the civilizational unity of Dravidian and Vedic cultures, and our Constitution and Drafting Committee’s unequivocal statement about India being a single nation. About the speaker : Sanjeev Sanyal, currently a member of EAC-PM and formerly principal economic advisor to PM of India for a tenure of 5 years, is the author of multiple best-selling books such as Revolutionaries, The Indian Renaissance, The Incredible History of India’s Geography, and The Incredible History of the Indian Ocean. He is also the recipient of multiple literary awards, like Kalinga Book Award 2023, International Indian Achievers’ Award 2013 etc. An alumnus of SRCC and Oxford University as a Rhodes scholar, Sanjeev-ji has been awarded with many global accolades from multiple academic and economic platforms. An ex-MD and global strategist of Deutsche Bank, Sanjeev-ji has immensely contributed to reshaping Bharat’s strategic thinking in global geo-economic forums like Davos, where he was named the Young Global leader in 2010 by the World Economic Forum. Date : 13th April, 2024. Venue : L-16, LHC, IIT Kanpur.