[INDOLOGY @ ] JNU Rejects Indology/classical studies

[Guest guest]

Dear Dr. Bharat,

I agree with you entirely! There is more critical Indianised history and

archival data on India and literature on social anthropology and

sociological studies of India available to me at Oxford than was available

at the University of Delhi or my Sociology dept. at the Delhi School of

Economics. The Indian govt. has also created a Professiorial chair of Modern

Indian History here.

The situation is pathetic, there is more Indian stuff outside India than was

available to me in my own country. I am learning two languages: Tibetan and

Nepali simultaneous to my D.Phil work here at the Univ, and it is possible

here and encouraged and funded by my department, If i decide to revise my

sanskrit it will be appreciated and also funded, this was never possible

back home. The crunch in research resources, and funding patterns are

actually determining what is research or the research priorities and that

has to be marketable research. Indology and anthropology and classics are

not that marketable, I am afraid in the era of global visions.

In a humorous vein, JNU has always been JNU, and some things do not change.

Although the lack of debate has surprised me. Please accept my sympathies, I

share in your grief...but it is high time JNU got rid of the hangover of the

Nehruvian era, it is the beginning of the new millenium..and this rejection

is perhaps one of the responses...

all the best and warm wishes

vibha arora

 

 

 

Bharat Gupt <abhinav

INDOLOGY <INDOLOGY>

21 April 2001 13:11

[iNDOLOGY @ ] JNU Rejects Indology/classical studies

 

 

>Dear List,

>

>It may be of interest to scholars and students of Indian and other

>classical studies

>that a few days ago the Academic Council of the Jawaharlal Nehru

>University,

>New Delhi rejected a proposal to establish a School of Indology and

>Classical

>Studies offering regular courses and degrees in such subjects as may

>fall in its ambit.

>The proposal, introduced as a regular item had only two speakers or so

>supporting

>it whereas a large number of the professors were either unsympatheic

>or opposed.

>

>Those who opposed said that it was an obscurantist idea and would be an

>attempt

>at initiating regressive tendencies. It was said that in the wake of

>efforts at

>introducing teaching of sanskrit for school children and courses in

>Jyotish

>(ancient Indian astronomy and astrology) any such move in JNU will send

>a wrong signal. The subject was hardly debated with any seriousness as

>there

>was an atmosphere favouring its quick rejection.

>

>It may be noted that JNU has recently opened a department of Greek

>language

>and culture but funded entirely by a grant from the government of the

>Hellenic Republic and so is the teaching of Hebrew to begin shortly.

>

>It is amusing (or farcically tragic ?) to see that Greek studies if paid

>for by

>the Greeks can be considered as illuminative by JNU dons, whereas

>Indian

>classical studies are regarded as taking the clock backwards. Perhaps

>it

>never occurred to the JNU faculty that Greek studies will be made more

>meaningful and relevant and a bond between the Indian and Hellenic

>civilisations can be forged ONLY if Indology/ Indian classical studies

>are

>also established.

>

>Or are the JNU dons saving Indian public money from

>Indology and would not mind if somebody pays for it from the moon?

>

>Is it not indicative of the fact that there is well entrenched animosity

>in the

>this University and the Indian academia in general against studying

>India's

>own heritage in its own classical languages in a formal manner ?

>

>But it is not surprising that JNU has chosen this path anew as there is

>to this day

>no teaching of Sanskrit at any level in its classrooms inspite of its

>claims of

>being a celebrated centre for history and having a School for Languages,

>Literature and Culture which teaches nearly all European languages,

>Persian,

>Arabic and Chinese. Is this part of the Nehruvian Socialist Baggage

>or a deeper disease afflicting India ?

>

>Some schoraly comments are a need of the hour.

>best regards,

>

>

>--

>Bharat Gupt

>Associate Professor, Delhi University,

>PO Box 8518, Ashok Vihar, Delhi 110052 INDIA.

>mobile:9810077914

>home phones 91+11+724 1490, fax/TEL 741-5658,

>email: bharatgupt

>homepage: http://personal.vsnl.com/bharatgupt

>

>

>

>

>indology

>

>

>

>Your use of is subject to

>

>