Science Mag: "no Indus script"

[Shyam Ranganathan]

Quoting Plamen Gradinarov <plamen at ORIENTALIA.ORG>:

> I don't think IVC pertains to Indology at all. It is about time for the
> "Harappans" to set up their own list. Just because the Thracs settled
> down on the territory of Bulgaria does not make the Thracology part of
> the Slavic Studies. Or Egyptology part of the Arabic Studies.
>

Dear list members

I am very troubled by the idea that we can a priori decide what is relevant to
Indology over and above bringing to bear geographic considerations.

Morally, I find the idea alarming that only certain cultural traditions ought
to be studied in a field like Indology. Does that mean that I and my family's
experiences have no place in the study of Canada as data, because my parents
were immigrants to Canada?

As well, I think we stand to loose a lot if we decide a priori that IVC doesn't
fall within the scope of Indology. Perhaps current theories suggest that there
is relatively little connection between IVC and "India" but our knowledge in
this realm is very shaky. It seems premature to write out a study of IVC from
the context of Indology on current research. Moreover, as Dean Anderson points
out, there is a strong historical and cultural connection between IVC and
latter India and Dravidian culture.

None of this is meant to suggest that we need to disrupt the peace on the
Indology list, only that the topic should be allowed to be discussed here in
the manner of other discussions. It would certainly be a shame if it
overshadowed other issues.

Best,

Shyam

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Shyam Ranganathan
Department of Philosophy, York University, Toronto     (http://shyam.org/)
Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy (http://www.iep.utm.edu/1/editors.htm)
                      (http://www.yorku.ca/srangan/DesiredArticleList.htm)

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