@PriyamvadaGopal @ChathamHouse @AdomGetachew Hindu nationalism should not have a negative connotation. It’s not exclusivist because Hinduism isn’t a religion - rather, it’s a way of life, and the term “Hindu” refer broadly to the people around and east of the Sindhu. This transcends the modern construct of religions.

@Kate_SdE @PriyamvadaGopal @ChathamHouse @AdomGetachew For “Hindus” - a broad-brush stroke for a people whose culture is underpinned by a knowledge system that provides logical structure for adopters of a plethora of philosophies, “Hindu nationalism” by definition, is inclusive and pluralistic. It gives space to everyone.
@Kate_SdE @PriyamvadaGopal @ChathamHouse @AdomGetachew If Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Samkhya, Yoga, Purva-Mimamsa, Buddhist and Jain philosophies are studied in comparison with Abrahamic faiths, India’s unique Carl Popper Paradox comes to light. The imposition of a western matrix of secularism on a pluralistic culture has done much harm.
@Kate_SdE @PriyamvadaGopal @ChathamHouse @AdomGetachew Because the traditions are rooted in universalist philosophies, India gladly hosts followers of non-proselytizing faiths. Supremacist theocratic ideologies find little resonance with the people of the land. To understand “Hindu nationalism,” one has to study Indic philosophy.
@Kate_SdE @PriyamvadaGopal @ChathamHouse @AdomGetachew Equally, it is important to view history objectively, know the excesses of supremacist invaders/colonizers, and importantly, understand the asymmetries created by the “secular” state which structurally disadvantage the vastly heterogeneous so-called “Hindu” majority.
@Kate_SdE @PriyamvadaGopal @ChathamHouse @AdomGetachew Purging neocolonialism doesn’t sit will with those who would like to see Indian democracy and electoral outcomes follow Western “liberal” orthodoxies. Due to its culture, India has and always will be liberal, and Hindu nationalism is a tool to iron out disempowering asymmetries.
@Kate_SdE @PriyamvadaGopal @ChathamHouse @AdomGetachew Note “Hindu majoritarianism” - a term that feeds the “Hindu nationalist” narrative Western research/media, is an oxymoron. Assumptions based on the homogenization of cultures, philosophies and traditions of the people from around and east of the Sindhu, leads to flawed analysis.
@Kate_SdE @PriyamvadaGopal @ChathamHouse @AdomGetachew When a state of 1.4 billion is realigning itself with pluralism from selective secularism, extrapolating cherry picked incidents into broad narratives is not a robust form of analysis. Digging deeper into doctrines, history and statistics is better when modeling 1.4 billion.
@Kate_SdE @PriyamvadaGopal @ChathamHouse @AdomGetachew Moreover, India is a civilizational state which has adopted democracy, so an assessment of it must be more rigorous and nuanced than it would be for a small, relatively new nation. The complexities are often overlooked for headlines, creating a structural dissonance.

More from Religion

Knowledge & Bharat : Part V

The Curriculum of Vedic Education :
According to the Ancient Indian theory of education, the training of the mind & the process of thinking, are essential for the acquisition of knowledge.

#Thread


Vedic Education System delivered outstanding results.  These were an outcome of the context in which it functioned.  Understanding them is critical in the revival of such a system in modern times. 
The Shanthi Mantra spells out the context of the Vedic Education System.


It says:

ॐ सह नाववतु ।
सह नौ भुनक्तु ।
सह वीर्यं करवावहै ।
तेजस्वि नावधीतमस्तु मा विद्विषावहै ।
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥

“Aum. May we both (the guru and disciples) together be protected. May we both be nourished and enriched. May we both bring our hands together and work

with great energy, strength and enthusiasm from the space of powerfulness. May our study and learning together illuminate both with a sharp, absolute light of higher intelligence. So be it.”

The students started the recitation of the Vedic hymns in early hours of morning.


The chanting of Mantras had been evolved into the form of a fine art. Special attention was paid to the correct pronunciation of words, Pada or even letters. The Vedic knowledge was imparted by the Guru or the teacher to the pupil through regulated and prescribed pronunciation,

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