What we leave out in historical narratives shapes the way we view the past and live our present as much as what is included in them. In India and across the world, largely accepted myths about the purity of race have and continue to inform the way we build society or divide it, despite evidence against these ideas. Tony Joseph, author of Early Indians: The Story of Our Ancestors and Where We Came From, tells us, “A poor understanding of history often leads to a narrowing of the mind and this makes societies antagonistic.” The book details the ancestry of Indian civilisations grounded in findings in archaeology, genetics and other disciplines as well as DNA research. Today, an online conversation with Joseph, along with artist Sahej Rahal and curator Puja Vaish, will explore the book’s insight within the context of Rahal’s ongoing exhibition Ancestors at Jehangir Nicholson Art Foundation (JNAF), on display till May 8.

Sahej Rahal and Puja Vaish