"Science" in India

[David Salmon]

Of course it does.

It should by now be obvious that poking a jackbooted fascist with a stick is a risky business.  Fascists are brutal but they must have their historical myths, and they value compliant "scientists" who will give their myths respectability.

It is the duty of a real scientist to protest when science is perverted by politics and false scientific claims are made in support of political theories.  This is a particularly pressing duty when the political influence is fascistic in theory and method.

The question should not be why are Farmer and Witzel pursuing this matter, but why are Indian scientists so silent in their support?  Have they been intimidated?

As Thoreau is reputed to have said in response to Emerson's question after Thoreau had been jailed after standing on some point of principle, "The question is not why am I here, Brother Emerson, but why are you still out there?"

My respects to you, Brother Farmer.

David Salmon
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Steve Farmer 
  To: INDOLOGY at LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK 
  Sent: Friday, October 20, 2000 3:48 PM
  Subject: Re: "Science" in India


  the most violent of the nationalistic Lists,
  where in the last week M. Witzel and/or I have been labeled
  "racists" or "white trash," or "garbage," etc., and have been
  threatened with the "fist" or the "cane" (and worse) for
  debunking N. Rajaram's work and criticizing Hindutva "revisions"
  of history.

  Here are a few gems from the List in the last five days:

  > This filth [S. Farmer and M. Witzel] should be shown the
  > fist. For that is the only way they understand.

  > Farmer is right when he says "India is unique". We put up with garbage like him.
  ...

  > For the first time, I am appreciating the Ayatollah type violence.

  ...
  > Krishna kept on listening to the abuse of Sishupal only that far. After
  > that it was time to take out the suadarshan chakra [i.e., a disk thrown to
  > cut off someone's head].

  I leave aside here the mundane accusations we've received of
  being "communists" -- or details about the computer viruses that
  both M. Witzel and I have received in the last week. Or this
  little jewel -- the entire message -- dropped in my email box the
  other day:

  > bastard donot play around with sentiments of hindus

  None of this, of course, has anything to do with critiques of
  Rajaram or the absurdities of Hindutva "revisions" of history.

  Steve Farmer