Dear Dr. Palaniappan

Regarding your point on acknowledging regional languages: the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangha (RSS) has been a proponent of regional languages for quite some time. Contrary to the perceptions of many, the RSS does not see Hindi as the sole language of India, but as a link language co-existing with regional languages. In the September 2015 edition of the Panchajanya, the official Hindi weekly published by the RSS, the editorial stated “Hindi is not against India’s regional languages. This is a myth being perpetuated ....”[1] The lead article said: “It (Hindi) will prosper along with other regional languages.”[1] Hindusthan Samachar, a news service affiliated with the RSS, provides news services in thirteen languages apart from Hindi: Hindi, Marathi, Gujrati, Nepali, Oriya, Asamiya, Kannad, Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Sindhi, Sanskrit, Punjabi and Bangla.[2] Most of these languages were added in 2014 (the agency was restarted in 2000 after a gap of 14 years). Regional languages are also one of the areas of focus in the “inclusive Hinduism” of the Sangha.[4]

[1] Press Trust of India (Sep 10 2015). Hindi can unite India, “chase away” English: RSS organ. Indian Express. URL: http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/hindi-can-unite-india-chase-away-english-rss-organ/#sthash.cBQ2BhoP.dpuf. Retrieved Mar 23 2015.
[2] About Hindusthan Samachar (not dated). http://mh.hindusthansamachar.com/static/about.aspx
[3] Liz Matthew (Oct 28 2014). RSS news service launched in more regional languages. Indian Express. URL: http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/rss-news-service-launched-in-more-regional-languages/#sthash.YGCU8hwK.dpuf. Retrieved Mar 23 2016.
[4] Vasudha Venugopal (Mar 16 2015). RSS's Nagpur meet decides on inclusive Hinduism as key strategy for next 3 years. URL: http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2015-03-16/news/60174729_1_bhaiyyaji-joshi-rss-general-secretary-suresh-akhil-bharatiya-pratinidhi-sabha. Retrieved Mar 23 2016.

On 23 March 2016 at 01:30, Sudalaimuthu Palaniappan via INDOLOGY <indology@list.indology.info> wrote:
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---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Sudalaimuthu Palaniappan <Palaniappa@aol.com>
To: Harsha Dehejia <harshadehejia@hotmail.com>
Cc: Indology List <indology@list.indology.info>
Date: Tue, 22 Mar 2016 14:59:23 -0500
Subject: Re: [INDOLOGY] India and Bharat
Vamsi Juluri is not a ‘she' but a ‘he’. He is one of the prominent exponents of the Hindutva viewpoint in this country. Just take a look at the endorsers of his book on the back cover of the book ‘Rearming Hinduism’. This fight between ‘India’ and ‘South Asia’ is a favorite of the Hindutva and especially Rajiv Malhotra. Should the Indology list be involved in this? See his article http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/treasurehunt/it-is-time-to-speak-up-against-the-hinduphobia-of-foreign-writers-vamsee-juluri/.

On a positive note, I am glad somebody on the Hindutva side acknowledges the existence of regional languages and presumably they are Indian and they have a ‘voice’ too. The vision plan for Sanskrit said, "Sanskrit, it is acknowledged, is not just a language. It is the voice of India’s soul and wisdom. It is the link between India’s past and present. It has been the vehicle of Knowledge Tradition of Bharat.” [emphasis mine]

Regards,
Palaniappan

On Mar 22, 2016, at 1:55 PM, Harsha Dehejia <harshadehejia@hotmail.com> wrote:

Friends: 
I was sent this email and since I am not able too respond sufficiently I am taking the courage and liberty of sending it to you all.  Appaentlty Vamsi is fighting to prevent India being lumped with South Asia in her University in California. Her questions are probing and sincere and she needs our support in her fight.
 
Please respond to her directly at juluri@usfca.edu
 
Kind regards,
 
Harsha
Prof. Harsha V. Dehejia

 
This is the email for Vamsi Juluri
May I request the historians in the group to share a few points if possible on the following so I could try and put it into a table?

1) What are the oldest references in Sanskrit literature to something like "Bharata"? What texts? What periods? What geographical spaces are referred to?
2) Are there other names for the Indian subcontinent in Indic texts? Did regional language literatures also have names of their own or was Bharata widely used? If so, from about when? (there's a lot of s asian bs in their letter accepted by the board on how india never had a sense of itself, no unity etc.)
3) What are some of the non-Indian names for India from ancient times? Roman/Greek texts, periods, names will be useful. Would anyone in the group also have an idea about Chinese/Korean/Japanese names ? What texts/periods?
4) Any other facts and anecdotes and citations that might be helpful.
Thank you!
Warmly
Vamsee
Vamsee Juluri, Ph.D.
Professor of Media Studies, University of San Francisco
Author of Becoming a Global Audience: Longing and Belonging in Indian Music Television (Peter Lang), The Mythologist:A Novel (Penguin India), Bollywood Nation: India through its Cinema (Penguin India), Rearming Hinduism: Nature, Hinduphobia and the Return of Indian Intelligence (Westland, 2015) and The Guru Within (Westland, forthcoming)
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