Human resource development ministry attempts to rewrite Vedic chronology of India. A section of Sanskrit scholars and historians are all out to establish that the Rig Vedic period and foundation of Hinduism are more ancient than Indus Valley civilisation. HRD ministry through Maharshi Sandipani Rashtriya Veda Vidya Pratisthan, Ujjian and Sanskrit department of Delhi University is organising a national seminar on Vedic Chronology in the month of August to initiate this discourse. Besides historians, representatives of Arya Samaj and Sanathan Dharma will also be participating in the three day event.

The original date of Rig Veda has been debated for long. Eminent Sanskrit scholar of his time Bal Gangadhar Tilak and German scholar Felix Jacoby in their researches have established that the Rig Vedic period dates back to 8000 BC. But Max Muller another German scholar dates it around 2000 BC. "Theories of Tilak and Jacoby are based on archaeological and astronomical facts. But the Marxists have gone all out to establish that Indus Valley civilisation is older than Rig Vedic era. The fact that Aryans came to the plains of India and pushed the Dravadians southwards is also not true. Much before the Indus Valley civilisation the plains of India had a flourishing culture of its own, which can be established through the Rig Vedic texts. The history needs correction and chronology needs to be fixed," said Professor Ramesh Bhardwaj, Head of the Sanskrit Department in Delhi University.

Analysing a date is a historical matter, but it is the Sanskrit department that has taken the lead. Linking it to Sanskrit studies, Bhardwaj added, "Reading Indian culture is an important aspect to Sanskrit studies. But our dates do not match with the main stream dates established by the historians." Bhardwaj had also submitted a similar project to Indian Council for Historical Research, seeking funding to conduct a research.

Besides Sanskrit scholars and historians, representatives from Arya Samaj and Sanatana Dharma will also be participating in the three day seminar. Maharshi Sandipani Rashtriya Veda Vidya Pratishthan, that is funding the seminar also does not agrees with Max Muller's theory. "The Indian historians do not completely agree with Muller theory. We keep organising debates from time to time over discussion on Vedas and correcting the chronology is an important task at hand," said Professor Roop Kishore Shastri of Maharshi Sandipani Rashtriya Veda Vidya Pratishthan. With the ministry of HRD backing the proposal, the right wing historians are looking at the seminar as an attempt to start the debate afresh.

Maharshi Sandipani Rashtriya Veda Vidya Pratishthan, is the first of its kind organisation under the HRD ministry. The idea of setting up the centre was mooted during the prime minister of Indira Gandhi, but the centre saw the first light of the day during the tenure of Rajiv Gandhi.