Answer to Mr. Ararwal

[Venkatraman Iyer]

Dr. Wujastyk wrote:
>And historical study of the ancient past is certainly worthwhile.  Many
>would say it is logically prior to the understanding of contemporary
>culture.  Cf. Bronkhorst's writings on the primacy of philological studies.

I agree fully.

There is no need to study the Indian past just by Indians alone.
That too only when the dominant elites produce a history, it creates
problems among dalits. Given that philology was unknown to India
and history enters Indian soil after the Muslim conquest,
new researches by those qualified irrespective of caste or race
will be good to let the fresh air.
In tackling varna/caste hierarchies and language
impositions, these may prove useful.

V. Iyer


______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com