"Science" in India

[George Thompson]

Lieber Sreenivas,

In my response to Vidyasankar Sundaresan I made it clear, I hope, that I have
no problem with the presence of engineeers on this list.  I do have a problem
with others, however [I will let them point to themselves].  If that makes me
a neo-Orientalist in your eyes, well, to paraphrase you, amen.

I have found Lakshmi Srinivas's posts well-informed, balanced, and
interesting.    However, I do not feel that it is my place to respond to the
post which you cite, because it is largely an exchange between her and Robert
Zydenbos, who has just recently promised a reply to it.  His response will be
of more use than anything that I would have to say.

I'd like to make one thing clear, though.  I consider myself a student of old
books and of times long, long gone. As far as I'm concerned, what I do as a
Vedicist has nothing at all to do with contemporary India.  So I feel no need
to apologize for not being a sociologist or a political scientist, and for
having no views whatsoever about contemporay India -- except insofar as I am
attacked for having views about Vedic that some contemporary Indians find
unpalatable.

As for Rajesh Kochchar's posts, well, I admire the restraint and the
discipline that he brings to them.  And I hope to some day attain the same
sort of restraint and discipline myself.  As for the particular post that you
cite, I'm afraid that I am not able to respond, since I have no views about
what makes a cultural man, especially when it comes to engineers, about whom
I know nothing except for what I encounter on this list.

However, I do very much hope to have the opportunity to discuss Vedic matters
with Kochchar and other Vedicists, once the dust settles, and once the list
returns to its intended purpose.  I hope that we can have serious discussions
about his admiravle book on the Vedic people.

mit herzlichen Gruessen,

George Thompson

[I will now take RKK's advice and withdraw to my books for a few days].