SV: Romila Thapar appointed Kluge Chair in Countries and Cultures of the South at Library of Congress

[Jonathan Silk]

>Humbly: doesn't the academic and intellectual freedom of a noted Indian
>historian (and threats to that freedom) meet the suggested subject
>criteria?
>
>David Magier
>
Please tell me the academic value or contribution to intellectual
freedom offered by the following:

Given that the United States right now has a right-wing government, any
intervention in this case should be couched in careful language.
Otherwise, ignorant republican senators and congressmen might draw the
conclusion that you are just a bunch of leftists trying to keep an
honest conservative out of the job.


My fear is that this *type* thing will quickly degenerate into the
polemics that drove Indology out of business once (? at least once)
before.

I suggest that any further exchanges on this issue should be carried
on off-list.
--

Jonathan Silk
Department of East Asian Languages & Cultures
Center for Buddhist Studies
UCLA
290 Royce Hall
Box 951540
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1540
phone: (310)206-8235
fax:  (310)825-8808
silk at humnet.ucla.edu