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How 'Gandhara' became 'Kandahar'

Posted on Dec 17 2001
Gandhara was the locus of ancient Indian-Persian interaction, a center of world trade and culture. It was a major Buddhist intellectual hub for centuries. The giant Buddhist statues recently destroyed by the Taliban were in Bamiyan, one of the important Buddhist cities of ancient times.
13400 Views comments (120)

The Asymmetric Dialog of Civilizations

Posted on Dec 3 2001
To have a genuine dialog of civilizations, the 'other' side must be present as itself and not via proxy, must be able to use its own framework to represent itself, and must be free to anthropologize and criticize the dominant culture without fear of undue censorship or academic reprisal.
6653 Views comments (50)

Traditional Knowledge Systems

Posted on Nov 19 2001
Modern societies created hegemonic categories of science verses magic, technology verses superstitions etc., which were arbitrary and contrived. But many anthropologists who have recently worked with so-called 'primitive' peoples have been surprised to learn of some of their highly evolved and sophisticated technologies.
4945 Views comments (26)

Gita on Fighting Terrorism

Posted on Nov 5 2001
At the other end is a minority of anti-war activists who want no violence, and instead advocate that the US should take the blame for having caused hatred against itself. The Gita's message rejects both these.
6696 Views comments (42)

The American Guilt Syndrome

Posted on Oct 8 2001
The Taliban are not fighting for economic development or modernization the way communist terrorists did. Islamic fundamentalists are fighting against the forces of modernization in general, as these seem to threaten the stranglehold of fundamentalist dogma and the power of the clergy.
4550 Views comments (27)

The Insider/Outsider Academic Game

Posted on Oct 25 2002
After my essay, RISA Lila – 1, was posted, Prof. Sarah Caldwell felt that she had been negatively portrayed, falsely. She and I decided to communicate, so as to enhance our mutual understanding of each other, and also to make sure that all aspects of the issues get communicated to the readers unfiltered. The following dialog occurred in this spirit. I urge the reader to defer judgment until after reading the entire essay
10762 Views comments (226)

Response to Jeffrey Kripal's Sulekha Article

Posted on Sep 24 2002
I congratulate Jeffrey Kripal for his spirited attempt at defending his thesis by attacking me, and thereby trying to deflect attention from his own problematic scholarship. However, a quick scan shows that his response fails to address 90% of my essay's major issues, such as
5795 Views comments (1)

Indian Thought is Not Understood in America

Posted on Jul 27 2001
I was quite shocked when I discovered that Indian philosophy is not being addressed properly in American universities. In fact, only two American universities offer a doctorate in Indian philosophy.
5908 Views comments (14)

The 'Western Only' Curriculum

Posted on Jun 22 2001
This essay is provoked by the reading list of St. John's College, one of the oldest and most prestigious institutions in the US, sent to my son and thousands of potential applicants to colleges. Their cover page proudly states that this list of great thinkers constitutes the complete program at St. John's. Something appears to be rather strange about this list of great thinkers...
5348 Views comments (29)

Stereotyping Hinduism in American Education

Posted on Apr 11 2001
This essay is based on an inquiry in which I wondered why: Hindu kids and even adults in America are apologetic about their religion, generally preferring to distance themselves from it and keep quiet about it.
11796 Views comments (37)

Is There an American Caste System?

Posted on Jan 29 2001
Recently, I read an excellent book by Professor Uma Narayan called 'Dislocating Cultures', in which she compares how dowry-deaths in India are of high interest in the West.
21130 Views comments (90) Tags:
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Member Since Nov 24 2001
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