Dr. Koenraad Elst is A Belgian scholar with a very unique perspective on Hinduism. He has written a number of books on the subject. All of his books are highly recommended. In the following book excerpt, he discusses many terms used in regards to Hindus and Hinduism. Communalism, Secularism, fundamentalism, Macaulayism etc. Being an outsider, he has a unique vignette. I will not attempt to describe it anymore because I am sure to ruin it. Please read it for yourself.Hindu Studies: Warring with Words
Misunderstanding of key terms confuses today's reporting and research on Hinduism
By Koenraad Elst
The self-described "secularism" of the Indian elite is a special case meriting closer inspection. Secularism in India is certainly not a neutral position, as Western India-watchers tend to assume. In fact, it is one of the warring parties in India's religious conflict. This is a rather consequential insight, for it means that reliance on the presumed neutral Indian sources describing themselves as secularist (a reliance which pervades the entire non-Indian literature on the present topic) is actually a reliance on the version of one of the warring parties, which is the very last thing to do in scholarship.
The article can be read at: http://www.hinduismtoday.com/modules/smartsection/item.php?itemid=3087
That was a superbly articulated piece. Thanks for pointing it out. It was great to read a piece which blew away the hypocricy of the leftists in our country today. The terminology used in india is all the more valid in the wake of the ayodhya judgment with leftists like Dileep Padgaonkar screaming murder about "majoritarianism".
ReplyDelete-Nishant