[INDOLOGY @ ] IGNCA seminar on cultural curriculum

[Guest guest]

naga_ganesan wrote:

>

> Prof. Bharat Gupt wrote in Indic traditions list

> > The problem is not just freeing religion and philosophy

> >from the clutches of western anthropogy (something that IGNCA

> >has been tying for the past decade) but from the methodology

> >of all western positivistic disciplines of history

> > and sociology, grammar/linguistics and aesthetics.

>

> Is there a new way of looking into Linguistics without

> studying the literatures and languages of South India?

> (as far as Indian history is concerned).

 

 

I dont see any reason for this anxiey ? A large number of IGNCA studies

are on South Indian art and litrature. Now it is being headed by a

South Indian professor.

 

 

> Prof Gupt wrote about IGNCA seminar on cultural curriculum:

> <<

> IGNCA seminar on cultural curriculum

>

> Dear List,

> I give below a report of :

>

> A crucial seminar was held at the Indira Gandhi National

> Cenre for the Arts,as part of the official attempts at working

> out a policy and climate for introducing Cultural Content in

> School Education. Many aspects of cultural content were

> deliberated upon. I was asked to take up the issue teaching

> religion in schools.

>

> Given below is a summary of a paper that I read and some of my

> comments on the proceedings.

>

> Introducing Scriptural Heritage to School Children

> by

> Bharat Gupt

> Summary of the Paper,

> IGNCA conference, March 30, 31 /2001

> [...]

> ii. informing students with select religious texts of ALL

> prevailing religions practised in India (including those of

> the non-urbanised cultures, forest people), such as Vedic

> Samhitas, Upanishads, Puranas, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bauddha

> Pithakas, Jain texts, Pashupata and Shiva sutras, Bible,

> Koran and Hadith, Guru Granth and others.

> >>>

>

> What is missing conspicuously is any mention of

> Tamil bhakti poets like Alvars and Shaivaite Nayanmars.

 

'ALL' and 'others' should be understood to include these and many

more from other parts of India.

 

Besides the draft the detailed proposals, yet to be worked out

if at all the hue and cry raised by the 'secularist' against

the status quo subsides, if inclusion of religion and culture is

not maligned as saffronisation and hindutva cottage industry, then

the content would include regional variations to

suit the awareness levels and intake capacity of the school children

along with an pan-Indian content of the syllabus.

 

A leading light of the left progressive forces, Prof Namvar Singh

strongly opposed teaching of any religion, culture per se or even

literary texts separately. So before we get to Tamil, we have to sort

the

issue as a social vision of what is valuable culturally. I am

sure you noticed the reactions of bastions of socialism like

JNU in rejecting classical studies.

 

 

best

 

 

Bharat Gupt

Associate Professor, Delhi University,

PO Box 8518, Ashok Vihar, Delhi 110052 INDIA.