Monday, December 29, 2014

Savarkar, Modi’s mentor: The man who thought Gandhi a sissy | The Economist

Savarkar, Modi’s mentor: The man who thought Gandhi a sissy | The Economist: "A fierce nationalist, he adored Guiseppe Mazzini, who fought for the unification of Italy, writing about him in the hope of inspiring resistance to the British in India. Savarkar believed that India is really composed of, and must only be run by, Hindus. In his 1924 book, “Hindutva”, he drew on cultural, philosophical and religious practices of ancient Hinduism, a rich faith that allows immense variety in how it is followed. But he also distinguished the ideology of hindutva—an attempt to unite disparate Hindus in a political project—from the religion. He himself was an atheist, and disapproved of aspects of traditional Hindu belief, dismissing cow worship as superstitious—a stance that would upset many today. He was an early outspoken opponent of caste discrimination. In the 1920s and 1930s others among the emerging Indian political elite opposed “untouchability”, the rejection as sub-human of those considered “below caste”. But Savarkar went further, saying modern India should drop altogether the idea of dividing people by caste."



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Saturday, December 20, 2014

The slips are showing - Sunanda K Datta-Ray

The slips are showing: "An elderly Westernized woman who worked closely with Lady Mountbatten in Delhi told me once how horrified both women were during a boat ride with Jawaharlal Nehru when he leant over the side and, scooping up a handful of water, splashed it on his face and head. They saw it as clear evidence of the creator of modern India subordinating hygiene to primitive faith.

" Was this a sign of primitive faith or Nehru's famous romanticism?



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Tuesday, December 9, 2014

History of Violence : Michael Mandelbaum | Foreign Affairs

 History of Violence -Michael Mandelbaum | Foreign Affairs:



'via Blog this' Violence brought the State and the States indulge in Violence in the form of War.

Monday, December 8, 2014

'The angst of the Tamil Brahmin: Live and let live' - Badri Shshadri

'The angst of the Tamil brahmin: Live and let live' - The Times of India:



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This is the price Brahmins have to pay for having democracy. Adult suffrage and vote bank politics are the real causes of the travails of the Brahmin, all over the country.