RMF Summary: Week of February 22-28, 2011

All threads in this post are new.
 
February 22
 "Be aware of the trap laid through Western scholastic methods !
I largely agree with Nandy's contention. The Western historical method much less ideological straitjacket (Marxist) is wholly unsuited for understanding the epics and the Puranas. This is the reason that I am working on a lengthy introduction on the historiography to volume 1 of my projected 5 volume history of India.
- N.S. Rajaram

February 23

www.BreakingIndia.com - updates to Videos and where to buy the book VIDEOS: The [BI] book's main web site now has 8 videos from the Delhi book launch featuring several important speakers... February 23 Coverage in The Hindu newspaper Book exploring western interventions launched Special Correspondent CHENNAI: A book attempting to explore “Western interventions” in fuelling movements with a separatist agenda in the country was launched here on Thursday. The book ‘Breaking India: Western Interventions in Dravidian and Dalit Faultlines,' examines the issue of international nexuses with local movements and argues that such campaigns pit regional identities against the notion of India as socio-culturally diverse State. Launching the publication, spiritual leader Dayananda Saraswati said the book covered a wide range issues that “affect our psyche.” .... February 26 Why would USA do such a thing which would be against its own interests   Rajiv Malhotra: I have been asked this question by top ranking Indian  thinkers who are considered "US experts" in Delhi. I will summarize the answer I have given them: It was against US interests to create the Taliban, but they did. The toppling of the Shah of Iran to bring human rights did not succeed and created a nightmare for USA today - entirely unintended. Ten years from now we will know whether toppling Sadam Hussein ended up being in USA's best interests or just the opposite. When Pakistan was developing its nuclear bombs for over a decade, several US presidents in a row made the conscious decision to look the other side. The US was were not deliberately making policies against its own interests.... A followup comment thread includes this: The late U.S. historian Barbara Tuchman wrote a wonderful book on the subject called *The March of Folly, *which should be required reading for all politicians and policy makers. Here is what the blurb on the book says: The March of Folly: From Troy to Vietnam, by Barbara W. Tuchman "Defining folly as the pursuit by governments of policies contrary to their own interests, despite the availability of feasible alternatives, Tuchman details four decisive turning points in history that illustrate the very heights of folly....  A second followup thread is here.   February 27 (16 comments) India's security risk bothers investors - finally! Rajiv Malhotra: I have been predicting this for years: The delicate balance between centrifugal forces (that pull things apart) and centripetal forces (that bonds together) is not robust enough in India. It is getting worse due to the kinds of internal fragmentation discussed in Breaking India. By comparison, China is robust in its security, internal and external. Yet, most of India's wealthy and intellectual elites live in the aura of high economic growth solving all the problems, and hence prefer to deny the divisiveness discussed in the book...   February 27 Ex-bishop of Delhi keen to unite Dalits Commentator 'Ram' asks: Dear Friends: Apparently, this ex-bishop is trying to unite ALL Dalits, not only Christian Dalits, in a "movement for the uplift of Dalit and poor in the society".Why are Hindu leaders, including Hindu Dalit leaders, sleeping soundly? Should they not be taking the initiative to unite and uplift the Dalits and ensure that they remain within the Hindu fold? ...