[INDOLOGY] A regressive face of Indology at the World Sanskrit Conference

[Tieken, H.J.H.]

When traveling by train I dip into Multatuli's seven-volume Ideas (Multatuli is the pseudonym of Eduard Douwes Dekker, 1820-1887). Somewhere (at this moment I am unable to locate the passage) he quotes a French contemporary author who would have said that one should not argue with believers, as this only leads to frustration. I think Professor Vajpeyi's article is a good example of such an experience.
If you google "arguing with believers" you will find many references to the Bible and biblical studies There are many more academic fields where arguments don't hold (from my own experience, Old Tamil studies). I agree with Professor Truschke, however, that we should not give up. But what would be the best approach?
Herman

Herman Tieken
Stationsweg 58
2515 BP Den Haag
The Netherlands
00 31 (0)70 2208127
website: hermantieken.com<http://hermantieken.com/>
________________________________
Van: INDOLOGY [indology-bounces at list.indology.info] namens Audrey Truschke via INDOLOGY [indology at list.indology.info]
Verzonden: dinsdag 14 augustus 2018 14:15
Aan: Indology List
Onderwerp: [INDOLOGY] A regressive face of Indology at the World Sanskrit Conference

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

This article<https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/how-to-move-a-mountain/article24682600.ece>, by Professor Vajpeyi, is a must-read. For many on this list, it will not be news that Indology has entrenched problems with sexism and elitism; many in our discipline are also soft on Hindutva. For others, some or all of these things may be surprising.

I encourage everyone to read with an open mind, rather than with a posture of umbrage and denial that has become all-too-common these days. As Professor Vajpeyi describes, the reception of the public forum at the 17th World Sanskrit Conference in Vancouver was an appalling display of unprofessionalism, misogyny, and class privilege, a "regressive face of Indology." My friends - We need to ask ourselves some tough questions about what sorts of prejudices and behaviours we are tolerating and harboring in our corner of the scholarly world. We tend to be quite good at exercising a critical gaze when it comes to mimamsa, kavya, and so forth. I hope we can do the same with ourselves.

All the Best,

Audrey

Audrey Truschke
Assistant Professor
Department of History
Rutgers University-Newark


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