Hindi Controversy At Duke Continues

[Periannan Chandrasekaran]

See:
http://www.rediff.com/news/1999/may/18us.htm
Related to the above:
'Is putting silicon in one's breasts better than  (studying) the Gita?'
http://www.rediff.com/news/1999/may/12us.htm

Excerpts:

The editors of a conservative newspaper at the elite Duke
University have alleged that that they were physically threatened for
their
 objection to make the study of Hindi a major at the liberal school.
But South Asian students said their allegation is a continuing effort
by cultural
conservatives to oppose multicultural studies at major American
universities.

One Indian student, who accused the conservatives of Nazi-like
propaganda,
feared that even if Hindi were made a major, the area of South Asian
not going to gain.

"Simply adding the option to major in Hindi, without permanently
improving
course offerings and faculty scholarship in Hindi, Sanskrit and
Hinduism, will
do nothing for the University except give it an artificial means of
distinguishing
itself from peer institutions," he said.

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