Answer to Mr. Ararwal

[Dominik Wujastyk]

On Thu, 2 Sep 1999, Anand Nayak wrote:

> I think the modern Indology should lay more accent on the way the
> texts are lived (or not-lived) today in India and elsewhere.

In most places, and for the most part, scholarship simply doesn't work by
dirigism, and thank god for that.  Nobody is "in charge" of indological
studies.  People study what interests them, and if they are lucky, they
get the opportunity to teach and write about it.  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.

All the best,
Dominik