Vidarbha Nama: A Chronicle of Vidarbha Region’s Past

thenewsdirt
Aug 11
8 min read

The Vidarbha region of eastern Maharashtra has a history and identity distinct from the state it is part of today. A new book, Vidarbha Nama, shines a light on this often overlooked heritage.

Written by veteran lawyer and former Advocate General Shreehari Aney, the book chronicles Vidarbha’s journey from ancient times through colonial rule. Its release comes at a time when local history and the longstanding demand for a separate Vidarbha state are drawing fresh attention.

By documenting eras from the Mahabharata to the British Raj, Vidarbha Nama offers readers, especially younger generations, a comprehensive look at what makes this region unique. It is a timely effort to preserve the story of Vidarbha in the pages of history, authored by someone who has been at the forefront of the region’s self-determination movement.

Revisiting Vidarbha’s History

Vidarbha Nama is explicitly a history of the Vidarbha region, tracing its narrative from ancient epochs to the mid-20th century.

The author begins with Vidarbha’s earliest mentions in lore and legend, including references from the era of the Mahabharata, underscoring that the region’s identity stretches back to antiquity.

Moving through time, the book outlines Vidarbha’s role under various dynasties and empires, highlighting a “unique socio-cultural character of the land and the people” that persisted through the ages. Aney describes how, over centuries, Vidarbha enjoyed periods of semi-autonomy and importance: from ancient Vedic times and Hindu kingdoms, through eras of Mughal administration, and into the British colonial period.

In its later chapters, Vidarbha Nama details the region’s status during British rule and the events leading up to India’s independence in 1947. Crucially, the book also touches on how Vidarbha’s distinct position was gradually diminished in the mid-20th century.

It notes that after 1947, Vidarbha lost its separate administrative identity when it was merged into the newly formed Bombay State in 1956, and later into the state of Maharashtra in 1960. By chronicling this transition,

Aney provides historical context to a grievance often voiced in the region, that a once-independent entity was absorbed into larger states, a fate sealed despite earlier promises and proposals.

In fact, the idea of a separate Vidarbha had been raised long before states were reorganised: as early as 1920, a convention in Nagpur passed a resolution for a Vidarbha state, an idea even supported by Jawaharlal Nehru at the time.

Through such details, Vidarbha Nama not only recounts kings and battles but also the early sparks of regional self-determination.

The 225-page volume offers a broad sweep of history, intended to be accessible and enlightening for general readers. According to the publisher, it is “a good book to be read for the youth of this generation”, suggesting a mission to educate young Vidarbhians about their roots.

By compiling centuries of heritage into one narrative, Vidarbha Nama serves as a one-stop reference on Vidarbha’s past, a past that is often glossed over in mainstream Maharashtra history.

The Author and His Cause

The significance of Vidarbha Nama is inseparable from the persona of its author, Adv. Shreehari Aney. Aney is not a conventional historian, but a senior lawyer-turned-author with an intimate connection to the subject.

He served as Advocate General of Maharashtra until 2016, when he resigned amid controversy, not due to any lapse in duty, but because of his outspoken support for carving out new states from Maharashtra.

Aney had publicly advocated separate statehood for Vidarbha (his home region) and even for Marathwada, another marginalised region, which made him a target of political attacks. Facing pressure from coalition politicians vehemently opposed to any division of Maharashtra, he stepped down rather than recant his stance. As one report noted, “Aney never flinched from his commitment to the cause of Vidarbha”. That unwavering commitment is a driving force behind his writing.

Importantly, Shreehari Aney’s passion for Vidarbha’s cause runs in the family. His grandfather, the late Madhav “Bapuji” Aney, was a prominent freedom fighter and a pioneer of the Vidarbha separation movement.

Bapuji Aney had argued before India’s States Reorganisation Commission in 1955 that Vidarbha should be granted statehood, given its distinct identity and history. This legacy imbued Shreehari Aney with a deep sense of responsibility to his region’s aspirations.

After leaving the Advocate General post, Aney threw himself fully into activism and public awareness efforts for Vidarbha. In 2017, he founded a weekly newspaper called Vidarbha Mirror, dedicated to Vidarbha-related news and the statehood movement. Through this platform and others, he sought to keep the dialogue alive. Writing books was another means to that end.

Before Vidarbha Nama, Aney had authored Vidarbha Gatha (literally “The Vidarbha Saga”) in 2015 and Vidarbha Rajya (“The Vidarbha State”) a few years later, works that dealt with the region’s story and the statehood struggle. Those earlier books established him as a literary voice for the movement and were notable enough to be discussed in political circles.

For instance, Vidarbha Rajya, which documented the history of the separate state agitation, was considered for inclusion in college curricula due to its detailed research.

With Vidarbha Nama, Aney has broadened his scope to the entirety of Vidarbha’s history, beyond just the political movement.

The book was published in early 2021 by Vidarbha Mirror’s publishing wing, and in a bid to reach the widest audience, it was released in multiple languages: English, Hindi, and Marathi. The English edition spans 225 pages, while the Hindi and Marathi versions are of similar length (around 230 pages each) and carry the same narrative for readers more comfortable in those languages.

Aney’s aim in writing Vidarbha Nama was not merely academic; it was driven by a sense of mission. By meticulously recording the region’s proud heritage and trials, he hopes to instil knowledge and pride in Vidarbha’s people. In interviews and public speeches, Aney often emphasises that the people of Vidarbha must know their own story to shape their future. His stance has always been that any fight for rights or statehood should be rooted in facts and carried out through democratic means.

As he once noted, it is ultimately “up to the people to decide” their destiny, but it should be pursued within constitutional bounds rather than through violence. Vidarbha Nama reflects that philosophy: it arms the public with historical facts and context, empowering them to make informed arguments about Vidarbha’s status and needs.

Reception and Significance

Upon its release, Vidarbha Nama was welcomed by many in the region as a much-needed documentation of their heritage. Local academics and activists see it as part of a broader effort to reclaim Vidarbha’s narrative.

The book’s detailed yet accessible approach means it can serve both as educational material and as a rallying point for regional identity.

In fact, an earlier work of Aney’s had been recommended by the Nagpur University Board of Studies as a reference for political science students, precisely because such books fill gaps in mainstream history syllabi. “It is an academic work and has documented the movement well,” said Dr. Mohan Kashikar, head of Political Science at Nagpur University, about Aney’s writing.

Scholars noted that Aney’s books provide valuable insight into Vidarbha’s past, allowing students and researchers to understand the region on its own terms. Another professor, Maroti Wankhede, pointed out that these histories are “a good source of knowledge for students to know about the region’s history” and contain “nothing objectionable” in terms of factual content.

Such endorsements underscore that the significance of Vidarbha Nama is also viewed as a repository of regional knowledge that had long been relegated to the sidelines.

However, the very qualities that make Vidarbha Nama meaningful to Vidarbha’s people have also made works like it politically sensitive in Maharashtra. Anything that highlights a distinct Vidarbha identity can be seen as implicitly bolstering the case for separation.

This was evident when Aney’s earlier book Vidarbha Rajya was abruptly dropped from the university syllabus in 2019 under alleged political pressure. The vice-chancellor, reportedly fearing controversy over a title that assumes a separate “Vidarbha state,” removed the book even after it had been duly recommended by academics. The decision provoked outcry in Nagpur’s intellectual circles.

Advocates of free inquiry argued that one cannot erase a scholarly work simply because it challenges the preferred narrative of a “united” Maharashtra. “It is not just an insult to the author but also to the entire Vidarbha,” commented Adv. Mukesh Samarth, president of the Vidarbha Connect organisation, about that incident. This episode highlights why Vidarbha Nama, which treads similar ground in affirming the region’s unique story, is significant beyond its pages. It represents the voice of a region asserting its identity through documentation.

Despite occasional pushback from political quarters, Vidarbha Nama and Aney’s related works have stirred curiosity and conversation, which is perhaps their primary intent.

The book has found readers not only among history enthusiasts but also ordinary citizens of Vidarbha who see reflections of their own heritage in its chapters. It has helped kindle a sense of pride in a lineage that includes ancient scholars, warriors, and social reformers from the region, figures who might not feature prominently in Maharashtra’s state-centric history books. By bringing these characters and events to light, the book has contributed to a growing awareness, especially among the youth, that Vidarbha’s story is integral to the story of India.

One could argue that Vidarbha Nama is part of a larger movement of regional historiography, similar to efforts in other parts of the country where local histories are being written to complement, and sometimes challenge, the dominant narratives. In the case of Vidarbha, this is particularly pertinent: the States Reorganisation Commission had indeed acknowledged the region’s distinctness back in the 1950s, even recommending a separate state with Nagpur as its capital.

Although that recommendation was set aside in favour of a linguistically unified Maharashtra, the underlying issues never completely faded. Aney’s book does not overtly campaign for statehood. It stays focused on history, but the subtext of a distinct identity runs throughout.

The timing of Vidarbha Nama also coincides with a resurgence of discussions about uneven development and neglect in the region.

For readers within Vidarbha, the book validates feelings that their area’s past and contributions have been overlooked. For readers outside, it offers a window into why many in Vidarbha feel a separate identity, rooted in history, culture, and historical administrative autonomy.

Vidarbha Nama stands out as a profound effort to document a region’s saga in an era when local histories often get overshadowed by national narratives. The book’s thorough portrayal of Vidarbha’s journey, from an ancient kingdom celebrated in epics to its merger into modern Maharashtra, has struck a chord with those who call this land home.

By committing Vidarbha’s story to paper, Aney has provided a reference point for current and future generations to understand where they come from. The impact of this chronicle is already evident in the dialogues it has sparked about identity, history, and fairness. In bringing the Vidarbha story to a broader audience, Vidarbha Nama has not only preserved the past but also invigorated the region’s quest to be seen and heard.

It is a reminder that knowing one’s history is a powerful step towards shaping one’s destiny, and for Vidarbha, this might be the chapter that rekindles hope for the chapters yet to be written.