KOLKATA, INDIA, April 24, 2006: Available at the URL above is Dr. L.M. Singhvi’s lecture delivered at the Asiastic Society in 2006 entitled, “Indology and the Future of Our Past.” This interesting lecture by one of India’s most distinguished jurists and former ambassador of India to the United Kingdom makes the case that Indians should reclaim the study of India’s past and examine the impact of the hostile intent of early, Christian-influenced scholars from Europe. Following is an excerpt:
“My explication of the theme as ‘The Future of our Past’ seeks to focus on perspectives in respect of India’s Past and my concern about the persistent and motivated attempts to distort and belittle India’s Past in the name of self-proclaimed academic objectivity guided by a West-oriented demeaning discourse and many erroneous assumptions of secularism on the one hand, and on the other hand, in the name of narrow, emotive, wounded and outraged Hinduism with occasional undertones of obscurantism. Detractors and critics with or without a voluntary disclosure of their hostile agenda are forever drawing conclusions about India, which have little or no resemblance to the central truths of India or Hinduism and the broad Indic legacy, and its meaning and relevance to our Present as well as our Future. Equally, there are those who would admit to nothing but the glories of our past and are prepared to accept nothing which calls for change and correction in the Past which according to them we inherited. Obviously that is not in the best tradition of the constantly changeful and dynamic way and style of life we associate with Eternal India. I would like to state at the outset that my view of Indology is that it is or ought to be an emancipating view of the stream of Indian life. If Indology is Vidya, it is so because it liberates. Sa Vidya Ya Vimuktaye. Indology is for me a faithful discourse of our Past, a faithful and critical appraisal of the contemporary Present and a faithful, committed, constructive and self-confident exploration of the Future. Indology is for me a discipline of disciplines relating to every branch of knowledge and every aspect of life in India.”