About five years ago a New Jersey entrepreneur called Rajiv Malhotra wrote a column on Sulekha titled “RISA Lila 1: Wendy’s Child Syndrome”—a provocative critique of prominent academics in Hinduism studies in the US. This sparked off…
The Land of Equality, Part III
The Land of Equality Part I The Land of Equality Part II I walked out of the university campus bewildered after meeting Prof. Ghasin. The country of Ladnam was clearly committed to…
Land of Equality, Part II
Read Part I The Department of Social Division I was now even more curious about this remarkable country of Ladnam. How did they come up with this system of victim ratings for…
The Land of Equality, Part I
In my quest far and wide for a society that had achieved equality I reached the Republic of Ladnam. At the border, there was a big arched gate made of stone. On it were…
The Conversion War and Religious Freedom
The doctrine of religious freedom is enshrined in the UN charter under the declaration of Universal Human Rights and also in article 25 of the Indian constitution. Both these declarations state that…
Re-imagining Religious Freedom
The doctrine of religious freedom is enshrined in the UN charter under the Declaration of Universal Human Rights and also in article 25 of the Indian constitution. Both these declarations state that…
TEACHING PLURALISM AND TOLERANCE
Building on Our Own Traditions “Aap Hindu ho ya Muslim?” (Are you a Hindu or a Muslim?) It was an innocent question asked by Salma,* a pretty ten-year-old girl studying in a…
Are Indians Corrupt?
In his recent Republic Day address, Indian president Abdul Kalam spoke about what has become a hot topic in India today. He said: “…There are only three members of the society who…
Should education be compulsory?
The proposed Education Bill 2003, up for debate in parliament, seeks to make primary education “free and compulsory.” This enabling legislation, which will give effect to last year’s decision to make education…
Why India Is A Nation
One of the oft-repeated urban myths that sometimes pops-up in conversation even among many educated, well meaning Indians is that India as a nation is a British creation.