Two authors meet at a Sangam Talks event to dissect one of India’s most consequential historical battles — not only on the battlefield, but in the courtroom and the classroom.
Journalist-author Arvind spent five years analysing over 7,000 pages of the Allahabad High Court and Supreme Court records on the Ayodhya dispute. His 900-page book exposes how Marxist historians — for decades publicly claiming zero archaeological evidence existed for a Hindu temple — were dismantled by Justice Sudhir Agarwal’s landmark judgment and by a court-ordered excavation that unearthed a 60-metre underground temple structure and 50 pillar bases beneath the disputed site. From 1986 to 1992, these historians shifted goalposts, blackmailed Muslim moderates who were willing to settle, and in private government meetings admitted they had not even reviewed the available evidence. Romila Thapar’s most recent book does not acknowledge the Supreme Court verdict at all.
A second author — an HR professional turned historical fiction writer — makes the case that Porus, known to India only through Greek sources, actually repelled Alexander’s campaign. Alexander lost over half his army retreating through the Gedrosian desert. His defiant reply to Alexander — “treat me like a king” — is not merely history but a philosophy of dignity. The session closes with a call to recover India’s deliberately erased heroes: Kotarani of Kashmir, Lalitaditya Muktapid, and Sambhaji Maharaj.
About The Speaker:
Arvind Singh is a veteran journalist and author known for writing the book India’s Rogue Historians – How They Fought Against Hindus at Ayodhya & Lost. He has a journalistic career spanning over two and a half decades, working as a writer, editor, and translator.
He has contributed as an author and editor for multiple books, including fiction and non-fiction works like Once Upon A Crime: Revenge & Redemption in an Indian City.
Roopesh Tiwari is a thorough HR practitioner and an accomplished leader with over two decades of experience in various industries. Currently, he is working as Chief Human Resource Officer in a manufacturing company. A history enthusiast, Roopesh has read many books and research papers on the subject with a particular interest in Ancient Indian History.
Possessed by a creative mind, he picked up writing as a hobby after noticing many gaps in describing the glorious Indian past. The life of the great King Porus piqued his interest in particular, as even after contributing immensely to early Indian society, it failed to find a way into history books. He considers the project on Porus or Purushottam an emotional journey full of learning and discoveries. He is an MBA from Lucknow University and currently settled in Hyderabad.
