tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7592615870176912948.post5360166423070817583..comments2023-12-21T22:30:00.017-08:00Comments on Hitchhiker's Guide to Rajiv Malhotra's Works: Did Jeffrey Long 'Out' Rajiv Malhotra's new book before publication?Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7592615870176912948.post-80437308649991231532013-10-14T07:18:24.535-07:002013-10-14T07:18:24.535-07:00Thank you, ∫ubra, for those helpful instructions a...Thank you, ∫ubra, for those helpful instructions and background information.<br /><br />I have a lot of respect for Rajiv and his work, even though we do not always agree. (Who does?) We have always had a good relationship. This whole episode was thus a huge and unpleasant surprise for me. I greatly dislike controversy (and would like to think I am a true son of my sampradaya in that sense). I look forward to interacting with the readers of this blog so that they understand what really happened.<br /><br />Though his allegations were false, I do not believe Rajiv was lying, but describing what he really believed had happened. If he had only contacted me privately first, this would all have been settled between the two of us as friends, rather than becoming a public controversy (and raising my suspicion that it was being used to promote the book–wholly unnecessary if it is the case because the book will stand on its own merits).<br /><br />Pranams and best wishes.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12597927545428654233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7592615870176912948.post-91742327547184636782013-10-14T07:03:26.256-07:002013-10-14T07:03:26.256-07:00Jeffrey, thanks for taking the time to comment. Th...Jeffrey, thanks for taking the time to comment. This blog is done by volunteers, updated periodically as time permits. Hence the request at the end of this post to respond at the forum:<br />http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/RajivMalhotraDiscussion/info<br /><br />This would enable you to read the thread that is summarized here, respond directly, and obtain more immediate feedback.<br />Again, thanks for your comments.<br />HHG authorshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09635708332169190304noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7592615870176912948.post-34575930058973931532013-10-13T21:41:32.178-07:002013-10-13T21:41:32.178-07:00I am pleased to see that my comments have been pos...I am pleased to see that my comments have been posted. This goes a good way towards restoring my faith in the integrity and sincerity of this conversation.<br /><br />To answer the question in the title, no I did not "out" Rajiv Malhotra's new book before publication, either intentionally or unintentionally. I responded to a query on RISA based on my own prior knowledge of and interest in the question of "Neo Vedanta." Yes, I was reading Rajiv's manuscript at the time, and it would have been a very nice source to cite in responding to that post. But I deliberately did not do so precisely because Rajiv had asked me NOT to "out" his work, but to keep our conversations about it confidential. I honored his request, and then was attacked by him online for doing precisely what I had gone out of my way not to do. When this came to my attention, I responded swiftly, through email, and I felt that Rajiv and I had come to a resolution of the situation. Then I came across this blog...<br /><br />So no, I did not "out" Rajiv's new book. He has certainly drawn far more attention to it by charging me with such an "outing" than the RISA posting in question ever could.<br /><br />As far as the charge of treating Rajiv as a "native informant," this is also simply wrong. I cite Rajiv's work in my own as I would that of any other scholar. If anyone on this blog bothered to read my work, they would know that this is the case. Instead, I feel as if I have been tried, judged, and hanged on this blog by those who are talking about my "character" on the basis of these false allegations. But again, people can think of me what they like. The truth is the truth, and satyam eva jayate.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12597927545428654233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7592615870176912948.post-59593151379754800402013-10-13T15:47:06.375-07:002013-10-13T15:47:06.375-07:00It is interesting that this web page is dated Augu...It is interesting that this web page is dated August 31, 2013, but does not make any reference at all to my lengthy correspondence with Rajiv on August 16, 2013 in which this entire incident is explained and in which Rajiv's allegations against me are revealed to be utterly false. I cannot help but think that this is a manufactured controversy intended to sell Rajiv's new book. I have no interest in being used in this way.<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12597927545428654233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7592615870176912948.post-19264651403896490382013-10-12T08:11:05.902-07:002013-10-12T08:11:05.902-07:00If my response is not posted, I can only infer tha...If my response is not posted, I can only infer that there is no serious interest in a conversation on this topic, only an attempt to win points with a fan base by playing the victim against another big, bad western academic. (And I am not even all that well-known of a scholar, so we are really scraping the bottom of the barrel here.)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12597927545428654233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7592615870176912948.post-79608126644963754412013-10-11T16:51:02.155-07:002013-10-11T16:51:02.155-07:00This whole thing was a very unfortunate misunderst...This whole thing was a very unfortunate misunderstanding, which Rajiv and I discussed thoroughly in a semi-public email exchange.<br /><br />Rajiv had specifically asked me NOT to cite his work prior to its publication. Also, the specific ideas I used were not drawn from his manuscript, but from my own work--something which I demonstrated with previous publications of mine and postings on Hindu Dharma Forums which predated his sending me his manuscript.<br /><br />People can think of my character what they like. The truth is the truth.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12597927545428654233noreply@blogger.com