cynical-nerd.nationalinterest.in
BLOGOSHERE, May 27, 2007: Professor Nussbaum’s highly critical look at Hinduism in her recent book, “The Clash Within: Democracy, Religious Violence and India’s Future,” has struck a dissonance cord among some bloggers, in particular one whose nom de plume is “Jaffna.” Some excerpts follow. For the entire polemic, click URL above:
“Hers is a foreign policy prescription directed at a liberal democrat audience. She argues that democratic institutions are vulnerable to the challenge posed by religious nationalism. In India, this is epitomized by the Hindu right as witnessed in the Gujarat riots. The phenomenon was largely unnoticed in the United States preoccupied with Islamic fundamentalism. She iterates that such threats need to be confronted.
“Nussbaum is not entirely incorrect. The RSS represents an insular atavistic world view that is often coarse. The rhetoric of the Bajrang Dal exemplifies this. But Hinduism and the BJP-led National Development Alliance (NDA) can not be equated with the RSS. The NDA when in power included Dalit activists such as Ram Vilas Paswan, the Kashmir-based National Conference, anti-Brahmanic ‘Dravidian’ parties and veteran socialists like George Fernandez! It cut across regions and the social divide. She needs to temper her strident critique with a more nuanced and accurate view.
“Nussbaum distorts history with her slipshod analysis and facile methodology. At one point she describes ‘traditional Hinduism’ as ‘decentralized, plural and highly tolerant.’ She contrasts that with the Hindu right and proceeds to outline what she thinks to be their version of history. She concludes that ‘Hindus are no more indigenous [to India] than Muslims’ in light of the Aryan invasion. Her history needs to be corrected.
“Nussbaum draws inspiration from Rabindranath Tagore and Mohandas K. Gandhi. She fails to mention that both were profoundly influenced by the Hindu ethos of inclusivism, tolerance and restraint. M.K. Gandhi, a devout Hindu, turned to the Bhagavad Gita each day to seek spiritual strength to fight injustice. He termed this Satyagraha or the power of truth. Rabindranath Tagore was leader of the Hindu reformist Brahmo Samaj having established Vishwa Bharati as a center of learning and culture.”