American conspiracy against Hinduism!

[Guest guest]

American conspiracy against Hinduism!

V SUNDARAM

 

As an unknown heathen with my racial and cultural memories

going back to the dawn of history, I am rather amused by the manner

in which the California Education Department has recently permitted

some known anti-Hindu baiters like Michael Witzel, professor of

Sanskrit, Harvard University, and some of his chosen suspects to

intrude into (if not lurking house trespass!) the textbook

selection, evaluation and reform process, in gross violation of

established norms of decorum and decency.

 

Consequently, the Curriculum Commission in California has

agreed to incorporate the changes proposed by the representatives of

the Christian, the Jewish and the Muslim groups. But very

unfortunately, the changes proposed by Hindu groups, originally

agreed for suitable incorporation in the textbooks, are now being

posted for re-review by an organised coterie of Hindu-baiting

academics!

 

I understand that the California Curriculum Committee was

approached in September by concerned American citizens on the issue

of social studies' textbooks being considered for Class VI to VIII.

Practitioners of different religious traditions complained that

several passages included in these textbooks needed extensive

revision or editing, as they contained either negative or incorrect

observations or comments about the religious beliefs and practices

of the Jews, the Muslims, and the Hindus.

 

It was alleged that some of the contents were downright

racist and had the potential to create xenophobic or sensational

images in the minds of adolescent students. It was feared that it

would definitely have a deranging and negative impact on the self-

respect and consequently the self-identity of the Jewish-American,

the Hindu-American, and the Muslim-American children.

 

The Institute for Curriculum Services (ICS) showed great

sensitivity towards the issues raised by the Jewish, Islamic and

Christian groups. The institute submitted several corrections and

suggestions to ensure that sections on Judaism reflected Jewish

understanding of the faith and did not fan anti-Semitism.

 

The Council on Islamic Education (CIE) came up with a

proposal for alternative language for certain sections on Islam, and

the Hindu Education Foundation (HEF) and the Vedic Foundation (VF)

gave their considered inputs on Hindu dharma for suitable

incorporation. The Curriculum Commission and Content Review Panel

(CRP) informed the California State Board of Education (SBE), and on

8 November 2005, the ad hoc committee had approved 499 out of 684

proposed changes.

 

Many textual changes approved by the ad hoc committee were

really in the nature of the routine rectification of obvious factual

errors, such as the claim that 'Hindi is written with the Arabic

alphabet, which uses 18 letters that stand for sounds,' when

everyone knows that Hindi is written in the Devanagari script and

has 52 characters.

 

The Jewish and the Hindu groups objected to their scriptures

being described as 'stories,' which suggested 'that the events

described are fictitious.' Making out a case for more respectful

terminology when describing Hindu dharma, the Hindu Education

Foundation said that a textbook reference to 'Gods and Goddesses

from popular Hindu stories,' should be changed to 'various forms of

God from Hindu scriptures'.

 

What is most shocking and scandalous is that several

passages in the textbooks trivialised and ridiculed Hindu beliefs.

For example, one passage said: 'The monkey king Hanuman loved Rama

so much that it is said that he is present every time the Ramayana

is told. So look around, see any monkeys?' Hindus sought subtle but

pertinent corrections, such as replacing subject headings

like 'Hindu Beliefs About Multiple Gods' with the more accurate

phrasing 'Hindu Beliefs About Various Forms of God'.

 

Professor Witzel of Harvard University is a great champion

of the Aryan Invasion Theory of India. He succeeded in persuading

the authorities to incorporate this as an inviolable fact in the

textbooks. It should not be forgotten that the Aryan Invasion Theory

of India was manufactured, marketed and sold as a common colonial

product during the days of British Raj and which was later lapped up

by all the European historians, the highly Anglicised Indian

historians and the so-called 'secular' historians belonging to the

moribund leftist groups in India. The Hindu Education Foundation

requested the Californian Authorities to take note of the

overwhelming evidence available today against the Aryan Invasion

Theory so as to make the presentation in the textbooks more

reasonable, balanced and in accord with different shades of expert

academic opinion.

 

There is no doubt whatsoever that all the changes proposed

by the Hindu groups and Hindu organisations were fair, reasonable

and legitimate. The education policy in any civilised country should

take due note of the time-honoured core teachings of the religion

and culture of minority groups so as to be in full tune with the

established traditions of the respective faiths, instilling a just

pride in every child regarding his or her own cultural and spiritual

heritage.

 

While all these exercises to correct such obvious errors or

distortions or anomalies were being undertaken by the Californian

Educational Authorities, Prof Michael Witzel of Harvard's Sanskrit

Department wrote to the California State Board of Education on 8

November 2005, objecting to the accommodation of the sensitivities

and sensibilities of the Hindus.

 

Prof Witzel and his colleague Steve Farmer collected

signatures from over 50 scholars around the world, including

worthies like Prof Romila Thapar (India) and Prof Stanley Wolpert,

without caring to apply their minds to the proposed changes. I am

totally convinced that Witzel exclusively targeted Hindu-Americans,

and that he has only a political agenda of the most despicable kind.

 

Not withstanding all this politically engineered

controversies, it is a matter for great satisfaction that on 4

December 2005, the California School Board accepted many changes

desired by the Hindu community in Grade VI textbooks on topics

dealing with India and Hindu dharma. The corrections were vetted by

an ad hoc committee including renowned Indologist Dr Shiva G Bajpai,

whose indological services were hired by the Commission. But very

unfortunately, the Witzel intervention has led the Commission to

appoint Witzel, Wolpert and others as experts for a post-review

process (Content Review Panel). This is just like the accused being

permitted to sit in judgement upon their own antecedents and

conduct.

 

The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) has lodged a strong

protest against the grossly discriminatory, unfair, illegal and

unequal treatment accorded to the Hindus vis-à-vis other faith

communities by the California State Board of Education, by

permitting in the last minute, a mischievously planned post-process

move by Witzel to undermine and circumvent the considered

recommendations of the 'ad hoc committee' and the review process

established by the Commission itself for the resolution of errors in

textbooks.

 

I have also come to understand that during the deliberations

on the textbooks by the California State Board of Education,

Commissioner Munger, who identified himself as an Episcopalian, was

the only Board member who advocated accepting the views of the

Witzel panel. Commissioner Metzenburg said the Hindus should be able

to recognise their own religion when they read these textbooks.

Metzenberg objected to the 'insensitive' approach of the Witzel

panel to the whole issue. When Witzel panel was asked to rectify the

statement that 'the Ramayana was written later than the Mahabharata,

Witzel commented in a contemptuous way: 'Who in Sixth Grade cares

which epic was 'written' first?' Metzenberg retorted that 'it

mattered to Hindus'.

 

The Jews in California requested the authorities to remove

the references that portrayed Christianity as an 'improvement' upon

Judaism, or a 'replacement' for Judaism. Likewise, the Hindus have

noticed that Buddhism and Jainism have been presented

as 'improvements' over their dharma. The Hindu Organisations have

taken up this matter with the concerned authorities, pointing out

that this amounts to violation of Education Code Section 600 44(a)

and Subsection (b), which states that all students should 'become

aware and accept the religious diversity while being allowed to

remain secure in any religious beliefs they may already have.'

 

It is very clear from all this that while matters relating

to Judaism, Christianity and Islam have been reviewed by experts

within those faith traditions, the California Department of

Education has followed a policy of positive discrimination against

the Hindus in general and American Hindus in particular by

requisitioning the services of non-Hindu academics who are neither

experts in Indian History or Hindu dharma, nor practicing Hindus. I

won't be surprised if the anti-Hindu UPA Government in New Delhi

resorts to the political expedient of sending a specially chosen

team of so-called 'secular' academicians headed by the likes of

Romila Thapar and a few other Communists to California for

completing the work started by professor Witzel & Co.

 

I would appeal to Hindus all over the world to unite against

this American conspiracy against us, drawing inspiration from the

fiery words of Swami Vivekananda: 'Let us have muscles of iron and

nerves of steel. Arise! Awake! And Stop Not Till The Goal Is

Reached!'

 

(The writer is a retired IAS officer)

 

e-mail the writer at vsundaram

 

http://newstodaynet.com/23dec/ss1.htm