ANNUAL - 2019

Introduction discussions, conferences and academic initiatives. Important people across 2019 has been an amazing year for Infinity disciplines like industrialist and Foundation. Infinity Foundation completed philanthropist Mohandas Pai, vice 25 exciting years of serving and protecting Chairman of Niti Aayog, Rajiv Kumar, , against all odds and under very British media personality Katie Hopkins, challenging circumstances. We have prominent Swamis and gurus across the successfully managed to challenge the world, were interviewed and participated existing global discourse which is negative in lively debates. towards and Hinduphobic. At the same time we have propagated and We ran a very impactful campaign on the reinforced a very positive narrative about plight of in countries around the India, and Dharma, based on world. We showcased to the world a very India’s contribution to science, technology, innovative way to do a vakyartha sadas mind sciences, architecture, mathematics, highlighting how views of contemporary astronomy, linguistics, computer science western indologists like and other fields. can also be debated and debunked. Romila Thapar despite repeated appeals from us, At the helm of Infinity Foundation, Rajiv has declined to do an interview with Rajiv Malhotra has successfully navigated the Malhotra. Therefore, a purvapaksha of challenges in the representation of Indian Thapar’s views on history was done by knowledge and culture, and through his Rajiv after going through various videos deep knowledge, profound insights and where she talks of her stance on various path-breaking books has established a very issues. Her views were played out and Rajiv viable Swadeshi alternative to the western then offered his counterpoint to them. This schools of thoughts which tend to have a was one of the highlights of the year gone biased and unsympathetic view of India by as such a comprehensive critique of and her cultural assets. By coining original Thapar’s work has not been undertaken by vocabulary like , mutual anyone at least in the video format. respect, reversing the gaze and many others, Rajiv has brought to the forefront In this report, we will highlight some of the numerous challenges facing India society important discussions, debates and both within and outside India. analysis in 2019. The report will also discuss the impact of the two very 2019 has been another phenomenal year important Swadeshi conferences for Infinity Foundation, with original that were held in 2019. research, numerous game-changing

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25 Year Journey of Infinity Foundation emotional rather than competent. He concludes by suggesting the way forward. Video: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Bhishma Puraskar Award

In this lecture delivered at the Waves Conferences in Dallas, Rajiv Malhotra gives an overview of his journey in Infinity Foundation over the last 25 years. Rajiv Malhotra received the prestigious  As a philanthropist, funding the Bhishma Puraskar Award for his exemplary academia work in the field of civilizational studies  As a scholar producing his own and Indology. Swami Govinda Dev Giri scholarship Maharaj, head of Sant Shri Gyaneshwar  As an Institution builder, developing a Gurukul, Padma Bhushan Awardee Dr. Swadeshi School of Thought. Vijay Bhatkar and Dr Nitin Karmalkar, Vice Infinity Foundation started out by funding Chancellor of SPPU, Pune appreciated the top academic institutions like Harvard, work done by Rajiv Malhotra and Infinity Princeton, Columbia, and many others. Foundation. Video. One of the outcomes of this was that it JNU Lecture helped understand the inner workings such institutions and their unwillingness to Rajiv Malhotra delivered a lecture at JNU explore ideas outside the mainstream where he touched upon a number of narrative. important issues that the youth of today must understand and address. This motivated Rajiv to produce his own scholarship and he became a very successful research author, challenging many established intellectual equilibriums concerning India.

Rajiv then talks about how things stand today and about his quest to develop a new indigenous school of thought which next generation of scholars can build upon. Today Artificial intelligence is poised to Rajiv describes how the latest challenges replace most of the jobs the youth are are on account of insiders who are aspiring to get. USA and China have 80%

2 share of new technologies between them. and those few who manage to He asked the young people in the audience cross over into India as refugees. Video to reflect on their future and assess their readiness to face this challenge. He stresses on the urgent need for decolonization. While China controls the study of its civilization, the study of India remains colonized and is directly or indirectly controlled by the West even now. Sanskrit scholars in India have failed to counter the biases of Western scholars Bhutan Ethnic Cleansing of Hindus of Sanskrit, despite many efforts by Infinity Foundation and others. Leaders from Bhutanese Hindus living as refugees in USA explain the history of their Rajiv explains the inapplicability of ethnic cleansing by the Bhutan Left/Right categories to Indian society, and government, and the challenges they face challenge the youth of JNU to rise above in USA to practice Hindu dharma. Video. such dichotomies. Only then can they lead India’s youth to tackle the massive Plight of Hindus in Bangladesh challenges facing their generation. Videos: 1, 2, 3, 4 Hindu Lives Matter In this very important series under #HinduLivesMatter, Rajiv Malhotra explores the sad plight of Hindus as minorities in different countries. Minority Hindus face severe persecution, often Swami Shuvananda of Swami state-sponsored. Yet such incidents are not Advaitananda Mission explains the reported in main-stream media, either in shocking plight of Hindus in Bangladesh in India or abroad. This series assumes great the face of ever-increasing Islamization significance especially in the context of the and intolerance towards minorities. Video. debate surrounding the Citizenship Amendment Act 2019, which makes it Call for Help by Sri Lanka Hindus easier for Hindu from Pakistan, Bhutan and Swami Sachithananthan of Sri Lanka has Bangladesh to get Indian citizenship. been connected with Infinity Foundation’s Pakistani Hindu Genocide work and explains the help needed by Hindus in Sri Lanka. Video. Rajiv Malhotra and Dr. Omendra Ratnu discuss the shocking plight of Hindus in Rajya is Strong, Where is the Rashtra?

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borrowed from the west. The second is the very old Indian idea of who we are, which is built on the Vedic foundational heritage and which assimilated other ideas as it evolved through the times. He says that if there is no consensus on the civilizational impact on the modern narrative, then it is

time to see what guides the modern nation On the historic occasion of Modi 2.0, Rajiv state. Video. evaluates the opportunities and existential risks that Bharat faces. He identifies 4 key Discussion with Katie Hopkins challenges that need to be addressed:

 bureaucratic mediocrity  digital and social media colonization  internal and external threats  development of human capital In this very engaging discussion with Vijaya Vishwanathan, Rajiv provides a framework for solving these issues. Video In this path-breaking discussion with noted British media personality Katie Hopkins, Civilizational Foundations of Indian Rajiv Malhotra and Katie discuss how Islam Nation State is changing the very character of Britain In this lecture delivered to 300 plus IAS and Europe by attacking its core Christian trainee officers at the LBSNAA campus in values and secular ideals. Rajiv Malhotra Mussorie on, Rajiv Malhotra outlines the coins the term “Breaking Britain” to civilizational foundations of the modern describe the forces who are trying to nation state of India. dismantle Britain from within. Katie accepts the terminology and says that the antithetical forces include globalists, Islamists and feminists. They discuss the future of Europe, and the importance of India and Hinduism as a force to counter the rise of terrorism and violence globally. They agree that UK and India must collaborate. Video. He talks about how there are at least two Indian Grand Narrative major competing narratives in India; one is secular democracy with its ideas of Rajiv Malhotra and Mohandas Pai engage constitution, judiciary, government in an animated discussion on what it means to have a grand narrative for India

4 with special focus on how Breaking India Next the role of the Church in proselytizing forces operate in various domains to and promoting anti-national activities is fragment and break down this grand analyzed. The Church dominates the Film narrative. industry, TV Channels thereby promoting anti-Hindu movies, biased TV shows and so on. Prof Vaidyanathan explains how Muslims gained a strong foothold during the Jallikattu issue in Tamil Nadu. Their atrocities against Hindus is not reported in the media as journalists are afraid to speak They discuss how the Breaking Indian out. forces deny the existence of any over- Prof Vaidyanathan explains how Naxalites arching grand narrative and prefer a are playing a significant role in hindering balkanized India. They talk about some of the developmental activities of the state. the strategies used to create conflicts and Under the guise of activism, Naxalites are sub identities which is then exploited to influencing students in colleges and create a divisive narrative. Video universities, which is a huge cause for Breaking India Forces in Tamil Nadu concern. Many people believe LTTE to be defeated although its activities are very In this exciting 6 part series, Rajiv Malhotra active in TN. and Prof Vaidyanathan discuss the different breaking India forces operating in Finally, activists serve as the unifying Tamil Nadu. medium for all BI forces. Their only aim is to promote anti-national activities and therefore are ready to collaborate with all BI forces. Video: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 Discussion with Swami Chidanandapuri

The first episode talks about Dravidian politics and its foremost exponent, EV Ramasamy. They discuss how Dravidian movement started as pro-British, evolved to be anti-, anti-National and now Swami Chidanandapuri, Mathadipathi of secessionist and poses a great danger to Advaita Ashram, Kolathur, Kozhikkode and India's unity. Rajiv Malhotra had an interesting

5 conversation on various issues confronting and interviews are used to present her Hindu society. position on specific issues. Then Rajiv responds to her ideas and offers his They discussed the phenomenon of counter-point. growing political and demographic Islamization of Kerala, radicalization of Muslim youth and the influence of ISIS and other terrorist organizations. An important problem today is on account of Hindu gurus today who neither like to take on problems in the real world, nor conduct clinical purvapaksha of opponents. Such an attitude does not augur well for the future of Hindus. Prof Thapar considers Indian nationalism a British product. Rajiv shows how the The Sabarimala verdict of 2018 was conclusions would be different if discussed. Rajiv Malhotra touches upon traditional categories of rashtra and desh the fact that Supreme Court did not have were used. an expert on the temple traditions while preparing the judgement. Rajiv talks about She claims that History departments at JNU opportunistic Hindus who are becoming and similar institutions use critical thinking overnight activists without doing the and Social Sciences methodologies which required tapasya. The role of media and are objective. She criticizes the BJP politicians in propagating an anti-Hindu governments for suppressing intellectual narrative is also discussed. freedom. She insists that Hindus believe in the Race theory, and their modern They examine the concept of daana in the ideas originated in Italian Fascism. She Hindu tradition and show how it is claims Muslim rulers were good for India, different from charity which is and many even sponsored . transactional in nature. They examine the She dismisses the claims of Somnath issue of NGOs and organizations which temple destruction by citing spurious step in to help during natural calamities arguments. Rajiv gives his rebuttals to all but have vested interests and agendas. these points and invites her to debate. Video: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 Video: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Decolonizing Romila Thapar Discussion with Nityanand Misra

In a game-changing 5 part series Rajiv Robert Goldman is considered the most Malhotra analyzes and critiques some of prestigious Sanskrit scholar of the past 50 key positions held by eminent historian years in the Western academy. In a path- Prof Romila Thapar on various issues of breaking 3-part series, Nityanand Misra national and cultural importance. In each dissects Goldman's translations of episode, clips from her various lectures .

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This illustrates the positive role of collective identity in securing a community’s self-esteem and survival. Good leaders stuck their necks out over many generations and resisted pressures and inducements to sell out. This courageous leadership helped the Hindu Goldman's Ramayana translations are used community’s preservation of worldwide as the standard interpretation rituals/festivals as a method of collective by English speaking academics. The Indian survival and engagement with the Council of Cultural Relations (part of mainstream. Video. Ministry of External Affairs) gave Goldman the highest Sanskrit award in 2017. Discussion with Professor Vaidyanathan Nityanand Misra gives detailed evidence that Robert Goldman mistranslated Sanskrit to allege prostitution in the Ramayana. Audrey Truschke uses this false translation to make her Hinduphobic case before her students and on social media.

Nityanand Misra demonstrates that these are not innocent errors but manipulations Rajiv Malhotra and Prof Vaidyanathan to distort the basic foundations of the discussed a wide range of issues in a very tradition. He shows that Gita Press' lively and interesting 6-part series. Some of translation is far superior. Episodes: 1, 2, 3 the issues discussed were: Discussion with Vindhya Persaud, MP,  Critique of Modi government Republic of Guyana  small businesses as backbone of economy,  “make in India” program,  family values, jati and social issue  Demonetization /black economy and GST  Europe’s family crisis, fertility, demographics, Islamic immigration,

de-Christianization. In this discussion, Vindhya Persaud  Islam vs Modernity, the nexus of Left- explains how Hinduism, especially Islam, Localization vs Globalization. Ramayana and , helped the  Indian versus China Indian indentured laborers survive in  Breaking India Forces Guyana for 175 years of extreme hardship.  Moronization of the masses

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 Temple control and RTE are unified only by hatred for Modi, and they lack a positive idea of India. Video: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 Mohandas and Rajiv agreed that Indian Conversations with Madhu Pandit Dasa identity is not to be found in Delhi. Modi is a much better representative of the real India than Nehru was. Just like China is becoming rich and discovering its old heritage, so also India must invest in heritage to build national identity. They agree that the Culture Ministry has not performed adequately and must improve.

In this important series of conversations Mohandas highlights some of the key with Madhu Pandit Dasa, President of projects that need to be done in the next ISKCON-Bengaluru and Chairman of 5-year term: Justice for all through courts Akshay Patra Foundation, Rajiv Malhotra  development of human capital by discusses a wide range of issues like the revamping HRD to build highly nature of Ultimate Reality, significance of qualified work force Hare mantra and analysis of the  creation of a labor-intensive ecosystem Sabarimala controversy from a Vaishnava  urbanizing small towns so the masses perspective. After this, they had private have quality of life and employment discussions on important collaborations efficiency. Videos: 1, 2, 3 which are now under way. Videos: 1, 2, 3 Discussion with Rajiv Kumar Discussion with Mohandas Pai

Dr. Rajiv Kumar, the vice-chairman of the In this very engaging discussion with NITI Aayog, which is responsible for Mohandas Pai just before the 2019 general planning economic development, is asked elections, a lot of important issues were by Rajiv Malhotra to reconcile the discussed. Mohandas states that the 2014 individual’s spiritual anand with the election was a fight against a corrupt materialistic benchmarks used in establishment. The 2019 election is economics. They discuss whether a defined as Modi versus the Rest. The Rest spiritual nation can protect itself from

8 others who are hostile and materialistic. for the Arts. Senior scholars of Madras They discuss the importance of upgrading Sanskrit College debated and responded to the minds of our people, our national the various positions propagated by grand narrative, and the quality of eminent Western Indologist Sheldon governance especially in HRD and Culture. Pollock, by deconstructing and exposing flaws in his arguments. Eminent Sanskrit Another issue which is touched upon is if scholar Professor A.S Aravamudan caste reservations can be replaced by summarized the proceedings. affirmative action based on individual economic needs. This conversation concludes with a constructive way forward. Video: 1, 2, 3 The Decline of Sanskrit

The entire debate was in Sanskrit and these powerful, path-breaking, innovative series of videos have now been made available along with English subtitles. In a special address, Brahmasri Mani Dravid This provocative Q&A discusses some of Sastry speaks in on the nature of Ram Mohan Roy’s disturbing side. People traditional pedagogy. Video: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 blame Lord Macaulay for masterminding the replacement of Sanskrit with the Hindu Intervention at Stanford Anglicization of India. Rajiv shows that it was Ram Mohan Roy who championed this change 12 years before Macaulay took it up. Rajiv explains how we must transcend regional identities like “Punjabi”, “Tamilian”, etc. The Rashtra must come first. Video.

Vakyartha Sadas In this lively and interesting conversation, Vakyartha Sadas are events where Siddhartha, a 19 year old, explains how he traditional scholars of Shastras engage in has successfully negotiated important scholarly debate on various issues policy changes at Stanford University to pertaining to Indian knowledge systems. serve his Hindu lifestyle. One such event was organized during the Second Swadeshi Indology conference in Feb 2017 at Indira Gandhi National Centre

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Videos in Hindi (Dubbed)  यूरोप संकट - प्रोफेसर िै饍यनाथन (भाग 3/6) (English)  चीन और भारि / जीिंि बहस - प्रोफेसर िै饍यनाथन (भाग 4/6) (English)  भारि विखडं न / मूलयांकन - प्रोफेसर िै饍यनाथन (भाग 5/6) (English)  मोदी की आिोचना (भाग 6/6) (English)

 संलकृ नि और आ셍थाक सशतिीकरण In 2019, we started providing Rajiv (English) Malhotra’s English videos with Hindi  अमेररकी सेना मᴂ हहꅍद ू र्म ा (English) dubbing, under the brand “देश विदेश का  गयाना हहदं ू तयⴂ है ? (English) सꅍदेश”. This initiative was undertaken to  address the needs of a large demography 셍शक्षाजगि का वि-उपननिेशीकरण who are more conversant with Hindi than (English) English. The Hindi videos have received  भ्र셍मि विशर्षे ज्ञⴂ से मेरी मुठभे蔼 (English) good response. List of some of the Hindi-  "म ℂ एक लिा셍भमानी हहदं ू तयⴂ हूूँ" / dubbed videos are: सूरीनाम के उपराष्रपनि (English)  सौ륍य शक्ति की भरपाई (English)  मनोिैज्ञाननक यु饍र् मᴂ विजय: मोहनदास  अमेररका का भगिाकरण (English) पाई के साथ बािचीि (English)  मुक्लिम और भारि की महागाथा Other Episodes (English)  अंिर्ाा셍माक बैठकⴂ का पाखंड (English)  Sabarimala: Faith under Attack  on AI and Consciousness  शालर और भारिीय महागाथा (English)  Dr Subramanian Swamy’s Election  भारिीय मक्लिष्क विज्ञान पर मेरे 25 Strategy for 2019 िर्षⴂ का शोर् (English)  Globalizing the RSS/  (English) र्ा셍माक विचारर्ाराएं  Hindus without Defense/Mohan  रार्ाकृ ष्ण मेमोररयि 핍याख्यान: Bhagwat "भारिीय महागाथा" (English)  Open Challenge to Devdutt Pattanaik  भारिीय ज्ञान ननयााि: अिीि और  From Naxalite to Dharma / Dr. Rajiv भविष्य (English) Kumar, Vice-Chairman, Niti Aayog  Hindu Music Compromised: Presented  भारिीय अथ핍ा यिलथा का मूलयांकन - by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan and IGNCA प्रोफेसर िै饍यनाथन (भाग1/6) (English)  Jallianwala Bagh: British Regret  विमद्रीकरण, जीएसटी और कािा र्न - ु  Western Influence on Hinduism Today 2/6) (English) प्रोफेसर िै饍यनाथन (भाग  Interview with Sree Iyer, PGurus

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 R. Jagannathan (Swarajya) 5. Video production for the mainstream conversation with Rajiv Malhotra 6. Translations/transcriptions of our  Hinduism in Latin America articles & videos into Indian languages 7. Hindi dubbing of videos  Hindus In Ghana: The Struggle for 8. General fund for institutional Identity expenses.  Hindus & Minority Rights  is not Mythology  ISKCON Bangalore Tour

 Vedic Contributions to American Grand Narrative To donate, please visit:  Hindu Intervention at Stanford https://infinityfoundation.com/donate/  Decolonizing Delhi University  State of Hindu Media You may contact us in any one of the following ways: Current Projects Twitter: In the regional language front we are https://twitter.com/infinitymessage continuing with our efforts to provide Hindi and other regional language subtitles Facebook: of both current as well as older videos https://www.facebook.com/infinityfound released by Infinity Foundation. ationofficial/

Full video transcripts in different Indian Egroup: languages are now available for easy https://groups.google.com/forum/#!foru reference. Rajiv Malhotra’s academic m/infinityfoundationsatsang writings are being translated into various Indian languages. All these are being made Email: available in Rajivmalhotraregional.com [email protected] website. Instagram: @InfinityFoundation.Official Projects supported by your donations 1. Stipends for top scholars You will be among the first to know about 2. Book printing new uploads, the completion of new 3. Research Assistants for new books regional language subtitles and stay 4. Conferences with high impact connected with all the other important work that Infinity Foundation is doing!

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Swadeshi Indology Conference - 5 Global Education and a philanthropist, gave a rousing address regarding cultural “Karnāṭaka Śāstrīya Saṅgīta: Its Past, appropriation and the multiple dimensions Present and Future” of attacks on our civilization. Dr. Sumathi Krishnan, Secretary of the Madras Music Academy, set the tone of the academic event by giving a very balanced view on tradition in the context of our music and brought in issues in a subtle manner. Finally, pūjya Swāmiji put into perspective the onslaughts that are happening on Sanātana Dharma as well as the divine art of Karnatic music, with particular reference The fifth Swadeshi Indology Conference to the turn they have taken in the past few titled “Karnāṭaka Śāstrīya Saṅgīta: Its Past, decades. His āśīrvacana boded well for this Present and Future” was organized by undertaking by a few scholars to stand up Infinity Foundation India in collaboration to the distortions that are happening in the with Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bengaluru name of artistic freedom. and Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts - Regional Centre, Bengaluru. The day-long conference was held at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bengaluru on Saturday, 30th March 2019. Its objective was to reaffirm the Sanātana Dhārmic roots of the Karnatic music heritage and the centrality of therein, in the wake of the various disruptive narratives afoot aiming to delink its sacred aspect, and projecting it not only A short but very focused and hard-hitting as a mere secular art but also delineating keynote address was delivered by Śrī Rajiv its sacredness as the very tool of Malhotra via a video recording, where he oppression. threw light upon how the Bhakti An auspicious beginning to the conference performing arts of our culture are being was made by the Nāgasvara recital of systematically desacralized and hijacked by Viduṣī Prabhavati and Vidvān Palanivel. alien-colonial forces and the role of our The conference was inaugurated with the own scholars/artists in aiding the same. A lighting of the lamp by Paramapūjya Śrī scholarly plenary session by Dr. R Yadugiri Yatirāja Jīyar Swāmiji, Padma Nagaswamy (renowned historian, Bhushan awardee Dr. R. Nagaswamy, Śrī archaeologist and epigraphist) traced the Mohandas Pai and Dr. Sumathi Krishnan. origins of Karṇāṭaka Saṅgīta. Śrī Mohandas Pai, Chairman of Manipal

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The academic sessions had a total of 8 methodically dealt with the various levels paper presentations which covered the in experimentation, discussed what various aspects of the classical musical constitutes a legitimate experiment that is form. The first session saw three papers in tune with the core values of our music, being presented under the expert chairing and what would be really crossing the of Dr. T S Sathyavathi, the reputed rubicon. The next presentation by Śrī musician and musicologist. The first paper Aravind Brahmakal, of Ranjani Fine Arts, by senior scholar Dr. Korada provided a patron’s point of view, Subrahmanyam on the philosophy suggesting the various ways in which a underlying Śrī Tyāgarāja’s kṛti-s brought Karnatic musician can be encouraged to out the aspects of bhakti and deep undertake music as a full-time profession, spirituality therein, while also offering so as to retain it in its purest form without rebuttals to the allegations of casteism and being allured to distort the same. The oppression made regarding the celebrated session concluded with the Śrī N S vāggeyakāra. The paper by Viduṣī Gayathri Krishnamurthy’s perceptive remarks on Girish focused on the essential philosophy the papers presented. in Muttusvāmi Dīkṣita’s kṛti-s, presenting An interesting but focused plenary their inherent sanātana dhārmic character discussion took place under the able and also elucidated the divine personality moderation of Dr. Bhaskar, with Dr. of the composer. The final paper T S Sathyavathi, Śrī N S Krishnamurthy, presentation of the session by Viduṣī Vidvān Melkāveri Balaji and Śrī Vrinda Acharya was effective in conveying Lalitharam. The questions such as the the non-translatable nature of several key status of Nāgasvara artists, the hard but concepts related to our music. She dhārmic decisions to be taken by compared them with the popular professional artistes, and the focus of equivalents used and showed their today’s music were discussed, which were inadequacy, making a strong case for very well received by the audience. retaining the original terms. The session concluded with a summing up by the chair, The final academic session took on the Dr. T S Sathyavathi who gave a touching momentous question of appropriation of analogy of a body sans life, when our the Karnatic music heritage and the classical music is divested of its sanātana allegations on the heritage done by the dhārmic nature. musician Vidvān T M Krishna. Prof. K S Kannan, the Academic Director of Under the able chairing by Śrī N S Swadeshi Indology, chaired the session. Śrī Krishnamurthy, Former Director of AIR and Jataayu, the famous blogger on Hindu reputed scholar, the second academic culture and Tamil literature, gave an in- session saw Dr. Radha Bhaskar, the depth view on the Christian attempts of musician, musicologist and organizer of appropriation of Karnāṭaka Saṅgīta, repute, discussing the topic of how far is dwelling on the works of Vedanāyagam too far in experimentation. She

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Śāstriyār and Abraham Paṇḍitar in detail. Audience involvement and participation in The second presentation by Dr. V B Arathi the form of Q&A made all sessions lively dealt with a fitting refutation to the and interactive. allegation of the Karnatic music field being The valedictory session was a brief one, a ‘Bastion of Brahminical Patriarchy’, which with Śrī V Nagaraj, Secretary of the Mythic she handled by raising some fundamental Society (which is partnering with IFI to questions about the two parts of the topic. bring out the conference proceedings) and The final paper by Dr. V Ramanathan of IIT- Dr. Deepti Navaratna, Director of IGNCA - BHU was a fairly detailed critique of Śrī T M Regional Centre, Bengaluru, delivering Krishna’s book ‘A Southern Music – The short addresses summing-up the day’s Karnatic Story’, questioning the flawed proceedings. This was followed by the Vote methodology followed and the drastic of Thanks delivered by Prof. Kannan, conclusions that are drawn. The final concluding the day’s events. session concluded with the Prof. K S Kannan’s remarks on the three papers.

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ANNUAL - 2019

Swadeshi Indology Conference 6 Dr. Vasanth Shinde in his talk presented the key points of his team’s archaeological : A Paradigm Shift in Indology research at the burial sites of Rakhigarhi. The sixth Swadeshi Indology conference Dr. Shinde outlined that DNA samples had titled Saraswati: A Paradigm Shift in been collected from the sites utmost care Indology, in association with the Bharat and were being subject to genome Patriot Foundation, was conducted at sequencing, which would have crucial Delhi University on the 1 and 2 August consequences for the identity of the 2019 and brought into highlight the key Harappans. He highlighted that the nature breakthroughs in research on the River of artefacts collected point to the Saraswati Civilization. Sri Rajiv Malhotra Harappan Civilization being Vedic in chaired the inaugural session of the nature. The second session of the conference and outlined the importance of conference focused on Satellite Imagery the Aryan Invasion Debate, its historicity and Geological Evidence. and continued consequences to the Dr. B.K Bhadra from ISRO presented present times. detailed multi resolution satellite studies of the river Saraswati in northern Haryana. He spoke of the specifics of the remote sensing techniques used to study the paleo channels of the river and related results and analysis. Dr. A.R Chaudhury in his paper Monotonic Weakening of the Monsoons: Cause of Desiccation of

Sarasvati? presented research into the Major General Dr. G.D. Bakshi traced the river system from tectonic and seismic structure and objectives of the seminar perspectives including studies of and Shri Prahlad Singh Patel, the Union lamination, analysis of the grains deposited Minister for Culture delivered the by the river along the paleo belt. Inaugural Address. Padma Bhushan B.B. The third session of the conference had Lal spoke in his keynote address of the major milestones that have marked Padma Shri R.S. Bisht present an overview of the archaeological work done on the research into the Saraswati Civilization. subject and points of convergence between Harappans and Rig Veda. Dr.

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Sanjay Manjul presented his recent Aryan problem from the perspective of findings on the horse chariot unearthed textual evidence and linguistics. during excavations as well as discovery of In their first paper, the authors’ presented the oldest helmet in the world. The fourth their database of 222 verses of Sarasvatī session of the conference, on DNA from the BORI critical edition of the Mapping, focused on results from DNA Mahābhārata and their results to explore studies to address questions related to the the possibility of a terminus ante quem for identities of the people of Sarasvati the . In their second Civilization. presentation, the authors highlighted the Dr. Gyaneshwar Chaube presented his important Indic assets which are at stake paper titled The Question of Aryan in the issue i.e. the consequence that the Migration through the lens of Y- earliest forms of Vedic culture and Sanskrit Chromosomal Haplogroup R1a. Dr. are not indigenous to India. Their paper Chaubey’s conclusions pointed to the examined issues with linguistics being the result that maternal gene-pool of Indians, primary domain of study in the topic, including speakers of Indo-European and specific problems in historical Indo- Dravidian languages, is nearly uniform. Dr. European linguistics while conducting a Swarkar Sharma presented his paper on through a study of the terms ārya and Indian Origin of Caste System and existence drāviḍa in a range of Indic texts. of Ancient Pre-Historic Content that led to a deeper understanding of genetic origins of Indian civilization.

The fifth session of the conference focused on Linguistic and Scriptural Evidence. Dr. Kalyanaraman and Dr. Rammohan presented their paper on The Indus Script:

Linguistic and Scriptural Evidence about Saraswati in the . Both the speakers The valedictory session had Major highlighted the role of the Sarasvati General Dr. Bakshi brainstorm the way civilization in the Tin-Bronze metal forward to take the findings presented revolution of the 4th millennium BCE. over the course of the two days to public Manogna Sastry and Megh knowledge. He delivered the vote of Kalyanasundaram presented two papers - thanks, bringing to conclusion the sixth Sarasvati in the Mahabharata: A study and Swadeshi Indology conference.

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