“To use the past to justify the present is bad enough—but it’s just as bad to use the present to justify the past.” — Amitav Ghosh
LiveMint’s quote of the day by Padma Shri novelist Amitav Ghosh is a warning about the danger of manipulating history to fit a convenient narrative. It breaks down the two most common ways people, and particularly empires, governments, or conquerors, twist time to excuse bad behaviour.
How does the quote mean?
“To use the past to justify the present is bad enough…”: This refers to the act of digging up historical events, old grievances, or “traditions” to excuse actions happening right now.
It is often used to justify modern conflicts (“We are attacking them today because their ancestors conquered our land 500 years ago”) or to uphold systemic inequalities (“This is how our society has operated for centuries, so we shouldn’t change it now”).
It traps society in a cycle of retribution or outdated dogma, refusing to let the present stand on its own moral merits.
“…but it’s just as bad to use the present to justify the past.”: This refers to looking at a currently favourable situation and using it to excuse the historical atrocities or exploitation that led up to it. It is the historical equivalent of saying “the ends justify the means.”
This is a common defence of or conquest. An empire might say, “Yes, we invaded, stripped this country of its resources, and oppressed its people, but look at the modern railways, legal systems, and economic development they have today as a result!”
It suggested that human suffering, violence, or injustice is acceptable as long as the eventual outcome looks positive to those in power today. It strips the victims of the past of their right to justice.
The quote asks the reader to look at actions and events objectively. A wrong committed today cannot be excused by a history book, and a wrong committed in the past cannot be scrubbed clean just because the modern world turned out all right.
How is it relevant today?
Amitav Ghosh’s quote remains profoundly relevant today, as both political leaders and societies continuously weaponise history to shape modern narratives. The dual warnings in his quote map directly onto several major contemporary global issues.
“Using the past to justify the present…”: This is frequently seen in modern geopolitics, where historical grievances are resurrected to excuse contemporary aggression or systemic discrimination.
Many modern wars and border disputes are fueled by leaders pointing to ancient maps, historical empires, or past conquests to justify invading sovereign nations today. The logic dictates that because a piece of land belonged to a specific group centuries ago, violent military action today is somehow justified.
Political movements often weaponise a sanitised, nostalgic version of the past (a “golden age”) to justify rolling back modern civil rights or resisting social progress.
In protracted regional conflicts, violence is often justified by pointing to an atrocity committed by the opposing side decades or even centuries prior, creating an endless loop of retribution where the present is never allowed to heal.
“…using the present to justify the past.”: This is highly visible in modern debates over historical accountability, where current economic or social realities are used to excuse or downplay past atrocities.
There is an ongoing, global debate regarding the legacy of empire. Defenders of colonialism often point to modern infrastructure—such as railways, legal systems, or the spread of the English language—to argue that imperial rule was ultimately beneficial. This uses the present-day utility of these systems to gloss over the exploitation, violence, and wealth extraction of the past.
When marginalised groups (such as indigenous populations or historically oppressed castes/classes) demand reparations or acknowledgement of past wrongs, a common counter-argument is to point to their current legal equality or the success of a few individuals today. This uses the present status quo to argue that past injustices are “fixed” and no longer require accountability.
Multinational corporations, particularly those involved in historical environmental degradation or exploitative labour practices, often point to their modern philanthropic efforts, current job creation, or green initiatives to excuse or distract from the foundational harm they caused in previous decades.
Where did this quote first appear?
This quote is taken from Amitav Ghosh’s historical novel, The Glass Palace. The book, first published in 2000, covers more than a century of history in Burma (now ), India, and Malaya.
It is heavily focused on the devastating impacts of the British Empire in Asia and how power operates.
Who is Amitav Ghosh?
is a world-renowned Indian-born author and intellectual whose work spans historical fiction, science fiction, and non-fiction. Ghosh is celebrated for his intricate, deeply researched narratives that weave together history, anthropology, and sociology to explore themes of colonialism, migration, personal identity, and the global climate crisis.
This notable fictional works include The Shadow Lines, The Glass Palace, and the Ibis trilogy, while his prominent non-fiction work includes The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable.
Ghosh holds major awards, including the Jnanpith Award (the first English-language writer to receive this honour), the Sahitya Akademi Award, the Padma Shri, and the Erasmus Prize.
