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LeFosseArdeatineraccontateinIndia

DeccanHerald(Bangalore)9.11.2013ThroughthehistoryofRomeNov9,2013,DHNSHistoryloverswereinforatreatatalectureandinteractivesessionbyItalianscholarandoralhistorianAlessandroPortelli,titledEventandMemory,attheNationalGalleryofModernArt(NGMA)recently.TheeventwasorganisedbyNGMA,alongwiththeMinistryofCulture,GovernmentofIndia,incollaborationwiththeCentreforPublicHistory.OnhisfirstvisittotheCity,AlessandroPortellispokeaboutthe1944incident,whereNazioccupyingforcesinRomeexecuted335menasaretaliationforapartisanattack.Discussingthehistoryofthemassacre,itssymbolicsignificancetothehistoricalimageofRomeandrelatingittotheantifascistfoundationoftheItaliandemocracy,AlessandroPortelliraisedthecontroversiesinvolvedandthemythsthatsurroundthememoryoftheevent.ImusingaspecificRomanincidenttoraisequestionsmainlyonhowpublicmemoryworks.Iamhopingthatthroughthecommentsandquestionandanswerround,thissessionwillturnintoalearningexperienceforme,saidtheoralhistorian,adding,IdontknowmuchaboutIndiaormorelike,notenoughthatIcantalkabout.Headded,ImtryingtofindmywayaroundtheCitysinceitsmyfirsttimehere.ButIhavefoundthatpeoplehereareshowingalotofinterestinmywork.Speakingduringtheevent,AlessandroPortellipointedoutthatthecoldbloodedmassacreisahighlysymbolicevent.HavingtakenplaceinRome,whichhousestheheadoftheCatholicChurch,itwasboundtohaveagreaterresonancethanifithadtakenplaceinasmallerplace.Themassacrehasalonghistoryandishighlysymbolic,hesaid.IndiraChowdhury,directorofCentreforPublicHistorysaid,Itstakenawhiletoorganisethisevent.Butwefeltthattherewouldbemanywhowouldbenefitbylisteningtothislecture.Thepackedauditoriumlistenedinraptattention.Mykeeninterestinhistoryiswhatbringsmehere.Iamanavidreaderandampaticularlyfondofnonfiction.Itwillbeinterestingtoheardifferentperspectives.ButitsnotoftenthatIgettoattendalectureofthiskind,saidPrashanth,amemberoftheaudience.Manywhomadetheirwaytothelectureafterworkwerehopingthatitwouldbeworththeeffort.IwanttounderstandthehistoryofRomeofwhichIdonthavemuchofanidea.Thisisagreatopportunityformetodothesame,saidArun,anothermemberoftheaudience.HistorystudentSowmya,whoenjoyedthe

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experience,shared,IdidntknowwhattoexpectwhenIcamein.Butitwasreallyinterestingandthatjustshowsinthesheernumberofpeoplewhoarehere.TheHinduNovember14,2013TherighttorememberSRAVASTIDATTATALKAlessandroPortellistalkonTheFosseArdeatineMassacrebroughttolighttheroleofmemoryinshapinganarrativeDiffersinthetellingAndinreminiscence,accordingtoAlessandrophoto:sampathkumarg.p.Ourunderstandingofthepastisoftencolouredbyhowwechoosetorememberit.ThiswasreflectedinarecenttalkEventandMemory:TheFosseArdeatineMassacreheldatNationalGalleryofModernArt(NGMA)bytheCentreforPublicHistoryofSrishtiSchoolofArt,DesignandTechnology.Renownedoralhistorian,writerandmusicologist,AlessandroPortellispokeabouthisbookTheOrderHasBeenCarriedOut,whichexplorestheFosseArdeatineMassacre.OnMarch24,1944,335menwerekilledbyNazisinRome.TheattackwassupposedlyinretaliationforaPartisanattack,anattackthattheItalianliberalisershadwagedagainsttheNazis,saysAlessandro.RomebecametheheadquartersfortheNazisfightinginthefront.AssoonastheNazisoccupiedthecity,anundergroundliberationmovementbegan.Itwasanentirelyvoluntarymovementandallthepoliticalantifascistorganisationsjoinedthem.ItwasahardtimeforthepeopleinRome.Theyhadtosurvivehungerandairraids,whichkilledthousandsofpeople.ToaffirmthatRomewasnotentirelyundertheNazis,thepartisansbegantoattacktheNazisindifferentpartsofthetown.OnMarch23,1944,agroupofPartisansattackedagroupofNazisoldiersattachedtotheSS.ItwasaneventthatseemedtoshowthattheNazisdidnotcontrolthecity,thattheywerenotinvulnerable.And,therefore,itbecameimmediatelynecessaryfortheNazistoterrorisethecity.SignificantThemassacrebecamesymbolicforanumberofreasons.Thefirstwasthelocationofthemassacre.Romeisnotjustanyplace.Itisahighlysymboliccity.Infact,throughoutWWII,inEurope,thiswastheonlymajorcoldbloodedmassacrethattookplaceinabigcity.ThiswasnttheworstmassacreinthehistoryofGermanyoccupiedItaly.TherehavebeenothersinwhichmorepeoplewerekilledbytheairraidsoftheAllies.MostNazimassacrestookplaceinruralplaces.Inmostothermasskillings,thesocialcompositionofthevictimswasrelativelyhomogenousasthepopulationofaruralvillageorasmalltownis.InRome,whatyouhadwasacrosssectionofthepopulationofthebigcity.ThestoriesAlessandrohaschronicledinhisbookareofthepeoplewhowereinvolvedintheevent.Thevictimswereallmen,whichmeansthestoryofthesurvivorsweremainlymemoriesofwomen.Anditwasinspeakingtoandunderstandingthestoriesofthosewhoweredirectlyaffectedbythemassacre,thatAlessandrorealisedthatoralhistorygoesbeyondwhatsocietyconsidersrelevanttoberecorded.Alessandrosaysthemassacrewasacomplicatedprocess.Itwasverywellorganised.Theydrewuplists,theyhadlogistics.Ofteninthecommemorationoftheevent,peopletalkaboutitasabarbarous,savagemassacre,Ithinkthisisaseriousmistake.Thiswasahighlycivilisedmassacre.Itcouldnothavebeenperformedunlessyouhadall

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ofstateandbureaucracyworkingtomakeitpossible.Itisimportanttounderstandthatifwesayitwasabarbarousmassacre,wearesayingwehavehadnothingtodowithit,werecivilised.ItwasourcivilisationthatmadeAuschwitzpossibleitcouldnothavebeendonewithoutchemicalindustries,withoutthemodernstate.Thatraisesthemeaningoftheeventintermsofourheritage,ourcivilisation.However,whatmakesthiseventespeciallycontroversialisthewayitsbeenremembered,saysAlessandro.TheantiPartisannarrativegoeslikethis:thePartisansattackedthosepoorGermansoldiersandtheykilledthemandthentheNazispostedbillsalloverthecitysayingunlesstheperpetratorsturnthemselvesin,weshallhavetokill10peopleforeveryGermankilled,sothatintheendtheblamefallsonthePartisans,whoareguiltyofnotturningthemselvesinandtherefore,forcingthepoorGermanstokill335people.Sowhodoweblame?WedonotblametheNazisbecausetheydidwhattheyhadtodo.ButweblamethePartisansforattackingtheNazisandforallowingthemtobekilled.Alessandrosayswhatactuallyoccurredisdifferentfromwhatisrememberedoftheevent.TheNazisdidntpostanybillsanddidntlookforPartisans.Themassacretookplacelessthan24hoursafterthePartisanattack.Soitsclearlyafalsenarrative.However,ithastakenrootsinpublicimaginationduetoanumberofreasons.SRAVASTIDATTA

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