LONDON, ENGLAND, June, 2006: Dr. Ravi Gupta, graduate of Oxford University, in a recent talk at the Oxford Center for Hindu Studies, offers his perspective on the challenge of who speaks for Hinduism as applied to the recent California textbook controversy. “Several Hindu organizations in the United States objected to what they felt was a distorted and unbalanced picture of Hinduism found in sixth grade textbooks. The resulting debate swept up both Hindus and scholars of Hinduism from around the United States. What constitutes distortion, and what is simply fact? To what extent does a textbook about religion need to conform to practitioners’ self-understanding? What aspects of a religious tradition do 11-year olds need to know? Lawsuits were filed, and accusations became heated. Some scholars firmly opposed the changes proposed by the Hindu organizations, while others lent a quiet nod of approval. The debate was observed carefully by educators across the country because California possesses one of the largest school systems in the nation, other states often follow its norms. One thing that became clear, however, was that both sides were largely speaking past each other. Members of the Hindu community had valid points of contention, and had reason to complain about the hard-nosed approach of some scholars. At the same time, some of the scholars who opposed the changes lacked sensitivity to the concerns of practitioners and an understanding of how academic ideas can sometime perpetuate fictitious impressions. Throughout the controversy, our question became ever more pressing: who speaks for Hinduism?” To read Dr. Gupta’s complete talk go to source above.
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