Leaving the List

[Guest guest]

At times, in the original list founded by Dominik Wujastak individuals were

flamed after making some scholarly point--I even remember I was flamed for

about two weeks after raising an issue about the socio-religious nature of

Holi. In that discussion and throughtout the earlier history of that list,

though most of the arguments were scholarly and based on reason, a few

demonstrated that they could not sustain an intelligent, rational argument

without flaming and deriding list members. Fortunately, that was rare, the

flaming came from some non-specialists, and most of the discussions were

among those of us who try to preserve rational scholarship and who have

understood and appreciated the cultural history of India based on many years

of serious study. Now, however, except for a precious few--some Indians,

some Europeans, some Americans--the new list has degenerated into a sad

commentary not so much on Indology as on the insecurities of those who have

not either the scholarship or the scholarly sensitivities that serious

Indologists have. A mid-Twentieth-Century U.S. President, Harry Truman,

once said: "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen." Though I

enjoy cooking and do not mind the heat of the kitchen because it is a part

of the creative process, I am not enjoying the flaming against fellow

Indologists: European, Indian or American, who are serious scholars who,

like me, use the microscope of scholarship to examine in order to understand

and appreciate. For that reason, it is with some relief that I am

unsubscribing from this list in hopes that some day a listserv will arise

that is committed to scholarship not the descruction of Indologists who have

committed their lives to understanding and appreciating India and helping

others do the same. To Michael, Lars, George, Steve, Martin, Naga, Dominik

(if you are still reading this list), Madhav (ditto), and other colleagues

in Indology, I hope to see you in other forums of rational discourse.

 

Dan White

 

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J. Daniel White, Ph.D.

Professor of Indian Studies

Department of Religious Studies

The University of North Carolina at Charlotte

9201 University City Boulevard

Charlotte, NC 28223 USA

Telephone: (704) 687-4601

Fax: (704) 687-3002

Email: jdwhite