DOCSLIB.ORG

[LERF]⋙ Breaking India: Western Interventions in Dravidian and Dalit

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
[LERF]⋙ Breaking India: Western Interventions in Dravidian and Dalit Breaking India: Western Interventions in Dravidian and Dalit Faultlines Rajiv Malhotra, Arvindan Neelakandan Click here if your download doesn"t start automatically Breaking India: Western Interventions in Dravidian and Dalit Faultlines Rajiv Malhotra, Arvindan Neelakandan Breaking India: Western Interventions in Dravidian and Dalit Faultlines Rajiv Malhotra, Arvindan Neelakandan India's integrity is being undermined by three global networks that have well-established operating bases inside India: (i) Islamic radicalism linked with Pakistan, (ii) Maoists and Marxist radicals supported by China via intermediaries such as Nepal, and (iii) Dravidian and Dalit identity separatism being fostered by the West in the name of human rights. This book focuses on the third: the role of U.S. and European churches, academics, think-tanks, foundations, government and human rights groups in fostering separation of the identities of Dravidian and Dalit communities from the rest of India. The book is the result of five years of research, and uses information obtained in the West about foreign funding of these Indian-based activities. The research tracked the money trails that start out claiming to be for “education,” "human rights," “empowerment training,” and “leadership training,” but end up in programs designed to produce angry youths who feel disenfranchised from Indian identity. The book reveals how outdated racial theories continue to provide academic frameworks and fuel the rhetoric that can trigger civil wars and genocides in developing countries. The Dravidian movement’s 200- year history has such origins. Its latest manifestation is the “Dravidian Christianity” movement that fabricates a political and cultural history to exploit old faultlines. The book explicitly names individuals and institutions, including prominent Western ones and their Indian affiliates. Its goal is to spark an honest debate on the extent to which human rights and other “empowerment” projects are cover-ups for these nefarious activities. For more information, see www.breakingindia.com Download Breaking India: Western Interventions in Dravidian ...pdf Read Online Breaking India: Western Interventions in Dravidi ...pdf Download and Read Free Online Breaking India: Western Interventions in Dravidian and Dalit Faultlines Rajiv Malhotra, Arvindan Neelakandan From reader reviews: David Pell: Now a day people that Living in the era exactly where everything reachable by match the internet and the resources inside it can be true or not need people to be aware of each info they get. How a lot more to be smart in obtaining any information nowadays? Of course the answer is reading a book. Reading through a book can help persons out of this uncertainty Information particularly this Breaking India: Western Interventions in Dravidian and Dalit Faultlines book because this book offers you rich information and knowledge. Of course the details in this book hundred per-cent guarantees there is no doubt in it as you know. Aurelio Ashley: Spent a free the perfect time to be fun activity to accomplish! A lot of people spent their spare time with their family, or their friends. Usually they carrying out activity like watching television, likely to beach, or picnic from the park. They actually doing ditto every week. Do you feel it? Do you want to something different to fill your personal free time/ holiday? Can be reading a book could be option to fill your totally free time/ holiday. The first thing you will ask may be what kinds of book that you should read. If you want to consider look for book, may be the e-book untitled Breaking India: Western Interventions in Dravidian and Dalit Faultlines can be very good book to read. May be it could be best activity to you. Livia Wilder: A lot of people always spent their very own free time to vacation or go to the outside with them household or their friend. Are you aware? Many a lot of people spent they free time just watching TV, or perhaps playing video games all day long. If you want to try to find a new activity here is look different you can read a new book. It is really fun for you personally. If you enjoy the book that you just read you can spent 24 hours a day to reading a guide. The book Breaking India: Western Interventions in Dravidian and Dalit Faultlines it doesn't matter what good to read. There are a lot of folks that recommended this book. These people were enjoying reading this book. If you did not have enough space to develop this book you can buy the actual e- book. You can m0ore quickly to read this book out of your smart phone. The price is not too costly but this book has high quality. Latoya Palos: Beside this specific Breaking India: Western Interventions in Dravidian and Dalit Faultlines in your phone, it may give you a way to get closer to the new knowledge or facts. The information and the knowledge you may got here is fresh from your oven so don't be worry if you feel like an aged people live in narrow community. It is good thing to have Breaking India: Western Interventions in Dravidian and Dalit Faultlines because this book offers to you personally readable information. Do you at times have book but you would not get what it's exactly about. Oh come on, that will not happen if you have this within your hand. The Enjoyable blend here cannot be questionable, such as treasuring beautiful island. So do you still want to miss this? Find this book as well as read it from today! Download and Read Online Breaking India: Western Interventions in Dravidian and Dalit Faultlines Rajiv Malhotra, Arvindan Neelakandan #0YVCTI8QPNW Read Breaking India: Western Interventions in Dravidian and Dalit Faultlines by Rajiv Malhotra, Arvindan Neelakandan for online ebook Breaking India: Western Interventions in Dravidian and Dalit Faultlines by Rajiv Malhotra, Arvindan Neelakandan Free PDF d0wnl0ad, audio books, books to read, good books to read, cheap books, good books, online books, books online, book reviews epub, read books online, books to read online, online library, greatbooks to read, PDF best books to read, top books to read Breaking India: Western Interventions in Dravidian and Dalit Faultlines by Rajiv Malhotra, Arvindan Neelakandan books to read online. Online Breaking India: Western Interventions in Dravidian and Dalit Faultlines by Rajiv Malhotra, Arvindan Neelakandan ebook PDF download Breaking India: Western Interventions in Dravidian and Dalit Faultlines by Rajiv Malhotra, Arvindan Neelakandan Doc Breaking India: Western Interventions in Dravidian and Dalit Faultlines by Rajiv Malhotra, Arvindan Neelakandan Mobipocket Breaking India: Western Interventions in Dravidian and Dalit Faultlines by Rajiv Malhotra, Arvindan Neelakandan EPub.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • JNU, the Headquarters of the Breaking India Enterprise by Saumya Dey
    JNU, the Headquarters of the Breaking India Enterprise By Saumya Dey There is a bundle of bile and toxicity, namely, a book, available in the market. It is somewhat pompously titled as What the Nation Really Needs to Know – The JNU Nationalism Lectures. This book contains, between two covers, nearly all the opinions and propaganda used by the breaking India protagonists on the JNU campus. Understanding the Breaking India Enterprise We owe the phrase ‘breaking India’ to that wonderfully insightful book co-authored by Rajiv Malhotra and Aravindan Neelakandan (Breaking India: Western Interventions in Dravidian and Dalit Faultlines). I am rounding it off by adding the word ‘enterprise’ to it, for it is an activity, pursued by a nexus of church groups, private think tanks, academics and NGOs, that employs and provides a livelihood to a lot of people within and outside India (as we see in the book). What is this enterprise’s objective? Well, as Messrs. Malhotra and Neelakandan have demonstrated, it primarily seeks to promote and exploit faultlines in Indian society in order to breed various kinds of separatist identities (Dravidian or Dalit), presumably to further the disintegration of India. There is, however, another aspect to the breaking India enterprise. Many of its votaries seek to alienate Indians from the Indian state through persistent conversations about its oppressiveness. They also harp on the artificiality of the Indian nation that serves as its basis. Their intention perhaps is to ensure that the average Indian ceases to be emotionally invested in the Indian nation-state so that it can be easily undone.
    [Show full text]
  • July-September 2016, Volume 18 No. 1
    DIALOGUE QUARTERLY Volume-18 No. 1 July-September, 2016 Subscription Rates : For Individuals (in India) Single issue Rs. 30.00 Annual Rs. 100.00 For 3 years Rs. 250.00 For Institutions: Single Issue Rs. 60.00 in India, Abroad US $ 15 Annual Rs. 200.00 in India, Abroad US $ 50 For 3 years Rs. 500.00 in India, Abroad US $ 125 All cheques and Bank Drafts (Account Payee) are to be made in the name of “ASTHA BHARATI”, Delhi. Advertisement Rates : Outside back-cover Rs. 25, 000.00 Per issue Inside Covers Rs. 20, 000.00 ,, Inner page coloured Rs. 15, 000.00 ,, Inner full page Rs. 10, 000.00 ,, DIALOGUE QUARTERLY Editorial Advisory Board Mrinal Miri Jayanta Madhab Editor B.B. Kumar Consulting Editor J.N. Roy ASTHA BHARATI DELHI The views expressed by the contributors do not necessarily represent the view-point of the journal. © Astha Bharati, New Delhi Printed and Published by Dr. Lata Singh, IAS (Retd.) Secretary, Astha Bharati Registered Office: 27/201 East End Apartments, Mayur Vihar, Phase-I Extension, Delhi-110096. Working Office: 23/203 East End Apartments, Mayur Vihar, Phase-I Extension, Delhi-110096 Phone : 91-11-22712454 e-mail : [email protected] web-site : www. asthabharati.org Printed at : Nagri Printers, Naveen Shahdara, Delhi-32 Contents Editorial Perspective 7 Intellectual mercenaries, the Post-Independence Avataras of the Hindu Munshis 1. North-East Scan Assam Floods: Another Perspective 11 Patricia Mukhim Manipur: Maintaining Sanity in the Times of Chaos 14 Pradip Phanjoubam 2. Pre-Paninian India Linguistic Awareness from Rig Veda to Mahabharata 17 Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • China-India-Japan in the Indo-Pacific Ideas, Interests and Infrastructure
    China-India-Japan in the Indo-Pacific Ideas, Interests and Infrastructure China-India-Japan in the Indo-Pacific Ideas, Interests and Infrastructure Editors Jagannath P. Panda Titli Basu PENTAGON PRESSPRESSPENTAGON China-India-Japan in the Indo-Pacific Ideas, Interests and Infrastructure Editors: Jagannath P. Panda and Titli Basu First Published in 2018 Copyright © Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, New Delhi. ISBN 978-93-86618-42-9 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without first obtaining written permission of the copyright owner. Disclaimer: The views expressed in this book are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, or the Government of India. Published by PENTAGON PRESS 206, Peacock Lane, Shahpur Jat New Delhi-110049 Phones: 011-64706243, 26491568 Telefax: 011-26490600 email: [email protected] website: www.pentagonpress.in In association with Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses No. 1, Development Enclave, New Delhi-110010 Phone: +91-11-26717983 Website: www.idsa.in Printed at Avantika Printers Private Limited. Contents Foreword ix Acknowledgments xi List of Contributors xiii 1. Introduction 1 Jagannath P. Panda and Titli Basu PART I DECODING THE CHINESE STRATEGY 2. Belt and Road Initiative: An Effective Future-oriented Instrument of China’s Economic Development and Diplomatic Expansion? 29 Justyna Szczudlik 3. China’s Security Governance Conception for Asia: Perspectives from India 47 Susanne Kamerling 4. Reflection on OBOR: A Test of Out-of-the-box Thinking: A Chinese Perspective 64 Huang Yunsong 5.
    [Show full text]
  • Download 1 File
    BREAKING INDIA western Interventions in Dravidian and Dalit Faultlines Rajiv Malhotra & Aravindan Neelakandan Copyright © Infinity Foundation 2011 AU rights reserved. No part of tliis book may be used or reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages. Rajiv Malhotra and Aravindan Neelakandan assert the moral right to be identified as the authors of this work This e<iition first published in 2011 Third impression 2011 AMARYLLIS An imprint of Manjul Publishing House Pvt. Ltd. Editorial Office: J-39, Ground Floor, Jor Bagh Lane, New Delhi-110 003, India Tel: 011-2464 2447/2465 2447 Fax: 011-2462 2448 Email: amaryllis®amaryllis.co.in Website: www.amaryUis.co.in Registered Office: 10, Nishat Colony, Bhopal 462 003, M.P., India ISBN: 978-81-910673-7-8 Typeset in Sabon by Mindways 6esign 1410, Chiranjiv Tower, 43, Nehru Place New Delhi 110 019 ' Printed and Bound in India by Manipal Technologies Ltd., Manipal. Contents Introduction xi 1. Superpower or Balkanized War Zone? 1 2. Overview of European Invention of Races 8 Western Academic Constructions Lead to Violence 8 3. Inventing the Aryan Race 12 Overview of Indian Impact on Europe: From Renaissance to R acism 15 Herder’s Romanticism 18 Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel (1772-1829) 19 ‘Arya’ Becomes a Race in Europe 22 Ernest Renan and the Aryan Christ 23 Friedrich Max Muller 26 Adolphe Pictet 27 Rudolph Friedrich Grau 28 Gobineau and Race Science 29 Aryan Theorists and Eugenics 31 Chamberlain: Aryan-Christian Racism 32 Nazis and After 34 Blaming the Indian Civilization .
    [Show full text]
  • Infinity Foundation Annual Report 2018
    JANUARY 1, 2019 INFINITY FOUNDATION REPORT 2018 I Infinity Foundation Email: [email protected] / [email protected] Table of Contents 1 Infinity Foundation (USA) ................................................................................................................ 2 1.1 DETAILS ................................................................................................................................... 2 1.2 2018 Accomplishments ........................................................................................................... 2 1.2.1 Lectures ........................................................................................................................... 2 1.2.2 Social Activism ................................................................................................................. 4 1.2.3 Weekly Episodes ............................................................................................................. 4 1.2.4 Social Media Growth ....................................................................................................... 6 1.3 PLANS FOR 2019...................................................................................................................... 6 1.3.1 Game-Changing books .................................................................................................... 6 1.3.2 More Hosts & Expanded branding .................................................................................. 6 1.3.3 Sanskrit Non-Translatables ............................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Gender and the Discourse of Nationalism in South Asian Women Writers' Partition Narratives
    UNRULY ALLIANCES: GENDER AND THE DISCOURSE OF NATIONALISM IN SOUTH ASIAN WOMEN WRITERS' PARTITION NARRATIVES ALISON JILL DIDUR A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Graduate Programme in English York University North York, Ontario May 1998 Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliograpti'i SeMces services bibliogrâhiques The author has wteda non- L'auteur a accordé une Licence non exclusive licence allowing the exclusive permettant à la National Library of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distn'birte or sell reproduire, prêter, distri'buer ou copies of this thesis m microform, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats. la forme de microfiche//nlm, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format é1ectronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur comme la propriété du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial extracts fkom it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otherwise de celle-ci ne doivent êeimprimés reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. UNRULY ALLIANCES: GENDER AND THE DISCOURSE OF NATIONALISM IN SOUTH ASIAN WOMEN WR1TERS8 PARTITION NARRATIVFS by Alison Ji11 ~idur a dissenalion submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies of York University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of OOCTOil OF PHILOSOPHY Permission has been granted to the LISRARY OF YORK UNIVERSITY to lend or seIl copies of this dissertation. to the NATIONAL LISRARY OF CANADA to microfilm this dissertation and to lend or sel1 coptes of the film.
    [Show full text]
  • Grand Narrative) for the 21St Century
    Weaving India's MAHAKATHA (Grand Narrative) for the 21st Century By Rajiv Malhotra Radhakrishnan Memorial Lecture Indian Institute of Advanced Studies Delivered on March 20, 2018 © 2018 Infinity Foundation 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS What is a Grand Narrative?............................................................................................................. 4 A brief overview of some Grand Narratives ................................................................................... 6 The United States of America ..................................................................................................... 6 China ............................................................................................................................................ 7 Pan-Islam ..................................................................................................................................... 8 Other countries such as Japan, France and Britain ................................................................... 11 Pakistan ..................................................................................................................................... 12 Does India presently have a Grand Narrative? ............................................................................. 14 Our Shastras’ view of who we are ................................................................................................ 16 Vedas and Upanishads .............................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • LIST of BOOKS in the ART REFERENCE LIBRARY of NGMA BENGALURU As on 18Th July 2014 Year,Edition & SL NO Sub Code Subject ACC
    Subject and Period wise classification of Art Reference Library Books,NGMA.Bengaluru. LIST OF BOOKS IN THE ART REFERENCE LIBRARY OF NGMA BENGALURU as on 18th July 2014 Year,Edition & SL NO Sub Code Subject ACC. NO Author Title Volume Publisher Keywoards Book Description Classification No Reference Sources : 1 Western Reference Sources : Encyclopaedia Britannica Bronze Age, Iron Age, Neolithic,Egyptian, Ancient Near The Encyclopedia of Visual Art subsumes six approaches to visual art: a History of Art, a Biographical Dictionary of Artists, a Glossary of Terms, Three 1 1 Western 21 Gowing.Sir Lawrence The Encyclopaedia of Visual Art 1965 International.London Eastern,Sculpture,Tomb ,Aegean, Greek, sets of illustrated studies [Special studies,Comparative studies,Media Studies] a summary guide to Museums and Galleries of the world and an 703 GOW Reference Sources : Encyclopaedia Britannica Bronze, Sculpture,Ellora,Mughal, Buddhist,Roman, Celtic, 2 1 Western 22 Gowing.Sir Lawrence The Encyclopaedia of Visual Art 1965 International.London Parthian, Indian,Southeast Asian. The book speaks about the art of the city of Rome or art executed by or for Romans. 703 GOW Reference Sources : Encyclopaedia Britannica North American,African, Oceanic,Irish,Bronze, Reference, This volume of the encyclopedia contains information about the art of Islamic, Irish, Byzantine, Anglo-Saxon, Viking, Pre-Columbian, North American 3 1 Western 23 Gowing.Sir Lawrence The Encyclopaedia of Visual Art 1965 International.London Islamic, Pre-columbian,Ottonian. Indian and Eskimo,African, Oceanic, Carolingian,Ottonian cities. 703 GOW Reference Sources : Encyclopaedia Britannica Neoclassicism,Romanticism, Manuscript, Gothic, 4 1 Western 24 Gowing.Sir Lawrence The Encyclopaedia of Visual Art 1965 International.London Antiquity,Renaissance,Reference, Rococo.
    [Show full text]
  • Third Year in Arts SYLLABUS
    Third year in Arts SYLLABUS ARCHAEOLOGY AAYC 31013: Paleography and Epigraphy with special reference to Tamil Objectives: The objective of this course is to give a profound knowledge and practice in reading and interpreting the past historical facts from inscriptions which is one of the reliable sources that reveal the past history. Course Content: Tracing the development of Tamil alphabet upto present times, Learning Granta alphabet, Select inscriptions for practical, Epigraphical format and inscriptional Tamil, Understanding the relationship between Tamil and other Dravidian languages through inscriptions Teaching and Learning Methods: Lecture, Practical Works, and Field Works In Course Assessment: Practical Exam (20%), Final Essay (10%), Mid Semester Exam (10%) Learning Outcome: This course will help the students understand the origin and development of the Tamil scripts over the past centuries and to enable them to read and interpret the inscriptions. Recommended Readings: Mahadevan, I., 1966, Corpus of the Tamil- Brahmi Inscriptions, Reprint of Seminar on Inscriptions, Department of Archaeology Government of Tamil Nadu, Madras. Paranavitana, S., 1970, Inscription of Ceylon: Early Brahmi Inscriptions, The Department of Archaeology Ceylon, Colombo, I. Paranavitana, S., 1983, Inscription of Ceylon: Late Brahmi Inscriptions, The Department of Archaeology Sri Lanka, Moratuwa, and II [1]. South Indian Inscriptions Volume I to Volume xxI Inscriptions of Ceylon. Volume I to Volume., V. gj;kehjd;> rp.> 2006> ,yq;ifj; jkpo;r; rhrdq;fs;> ,e;J rka fyhrhu mYty;fs; jpizf;fsk;> nfhOk;G. G];gul;zk;.> g.> 2002> gz;ila ,yq;ifapy; jkpOk; jkpoUk; -gpuhkpf; fy;ntl;Lf;fis mbg;gilahff; nfhz;l Ma;T> nfhOk;G jkpo;r; rq;fk;> nfhOk;G AAYC 31023: Art and Architecture of South Asia after 600 AD.
    [Show full text]
  • Does the Elephant Dance? This Page Intentionally Left Blank Does the Elephant Dance?
    Does the Elephant Dance? This page intentionally left blank Does the Elephant Dance? Contemporary Indian Foreign Policy David M. Malone 1 1 Great Clarendon Street, Oxford ox2 6dp Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University’s objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide in Oxford New York Auckland Cape Town Dar es Salaam Hong Kong Karachi Kuala Lumpur Madrid Melbourne Mexico City Nairobi New Delhi Shanghai Taipei Toronto With offices in Argentina Austria Brazil Chile Czech Republic France Greece Guatemala Hungary Italy Japan Poland Portugal Singapore South Korea Switzerland Thailand Turkey Ukraine Vietnam Oxford is a registered trade mark of Oxford University Press in the UK and in certain other countries Published in the United States by Oxford University Press Inc., New York q David M. Malone 2011 The moral rights of the author have been asserted Database right Oxford University Press (maker) First published 2011 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of Oxford University Press, or as expressly permitted by law, or under terms agreed with the appropriate reprographics rights organization. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside the scope of the above should be sent to the Rights Department, Oxford University Press, at the address above You must not circulate this book in any other binding or cover and you must impose the same condition on any acquirer British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data Data available Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Data available Typeset by SPI Publisher Services, Pondicherry, India Printed in Great Britain on acid-free paper by MPG Books Group, Bodmin and King’s Lynn ISBN: 978–0–19–955202–3 13579108642 For my Indian friends, who did so much to make my time among them in India a very exciting and happy one.
    [Show full text]
  • Click Here to Download
    ANNOUNCING A PROVOCATIVE NEW BOOK BEING DIFFERENT AN Indian CHALLenge to WEStern UniverSALISM Rajiv Malhotra’s BEING DIFFERENT is a path breaking book filled with original insights. It reverses the gaze to look at the West, repositioning dharmic civilization from being the observed to being the observer. Rajiv’s goal is to generate debates on the following propositions: • Western claims of universalism are based on its own myth of history, “A fitting and major as opposed to the multi-civilizational worldview needed today. response to Samuel • Historical revelations are the foundations of western religions, Huntington’s position on as opposed to dharma’s emphasis on individual self-realization in the body here and now. ‘who are we?’ as the West... This deserves to be one of • The synthetic unity of western thought and history is in contrast with the integral unity that underpins dharma’s worldview. the defining books of the age.” – John M. Hobson, • The West’s anxiety over difference and need for order is unlike the dharmic embrace of the creative role of chaos. Univ. of Sheffield, UK • Common translations of many Sanskrit words are seriously misleading because these words are non-translatable for sound and meaning. © Copyright Infinity Foundation 2011 HarperCollins Publishers India • Price: $25 For Details or to Purchase, visit www.beingdifferentbook.com THE IMportance of BEING DIFFERENT FOR WESTERNERS FROM TRADITIONAL RELIGIOUS BACKGROUNDS: It shows the way to liberation from religious institutions, dependence on historical prophets, fear of sin and damnation, and fixations with bloodlines and divisive identities. FOR PRACTITIONERS WHO ARE “SPIRITUAL BUT NOT RELIGIOUS”: It critiques the cafeteria approach that “all paths are the same” by explaining key non-negotiable principles of dharma.
    [Show full text]
  • An Essay for Our Times
    TIF - An Essay for Our Times MANU S PILLAI September 6, 2019 Source: Dennis Jarvis | Wikimedia (CC BY-SA 2.0) Diversity & nationalism are complementary and not antagonistic to each other. The Constitution is built around the principle that Indians can love their country without surrendering any other equally legitimate identity. Ideas to think about on 15 August. A little after the inaugural meeting of the Indian National Congress on 28 December 1885, the Bombay Gazette carried a report on the event, expressing genuine wonder at the proceedings. To begin with, it was noted, the very fact that Indians ‘representing the various races and communities, castes and sub-divisions of castes, religions and sub-divisions of religions, met together in one place to form themselves, if possible, into one political whole,’ was ‘most unique and interesting’. Then there was fascination born from the sheer visual extravaganza that the meeting appeared to be: ‘There were men from Madras,’ announced the Gazette (throwing political correctness to the wind) ‘the blackness of whose complexion seemed to be made blacker by spotless white turbans’. Standing beside them was the cream of colonial Bengal society, many of whom ‘appeared in entirely European costume’. There were ‘bearded, bulky and large-limbed’ Pathans, just as there were ‘Banyas from Gujarat’ and ‘Sindhees from Kurrachee’. The Marathi delegates came flaunting ‘cart-wheel’ turbans while the fire-worshipping Parsis displayed, in the Gazette’s opinion, a ‘not very elegant head-dress’. To add to this, there were many delegates from the South who appeared bare-chested, just as there were some who saw no reason to use footwear.
    [Show full text]