01-20-2004, 02:40 PM
India will shape world culture, says Indologist
By Our Staff Reporter
COIMBATORE, JAN. 19. India will be the greatest contributor to the
universal world culture that is likely to develop in the years to
come, the Indologist Koenraad Elst, said here today.
Delivering a special lecture on `India's image in the West' at the
Avinashilingam University, Dr. Elst said, "In future, we are going
to have one universal civilisation in which the most valuable
elements of every culture will have a place. Most of these will be
traceable to India."
Many of the worthwhile elements that the Indian civilisation had
produced over long periods of time would be useful for everyone in
the world.
Some of these universal precepts such as vegetarianism and yoga were
now being practised abroad even by people who had never visited
India.
"At present, the rest of the world is standing in awe of India as a
land of brains and intellect, most conspicuously in computer
science. India is also taking off economically, with many industries
that were destroyed or moved to Britain during British rule, coming
back to the country," he said, and added that this was the result of
the inborn talent and working capacity of Indians.
Dr. Elst said that in the past, India had been identified with
poverty and misery.
People in the developed countries lived under the impression that
these undesirable conditions could be removed only by combating
negative and inhuman practices.
Despite the developmental efforts after Independence, India
continued to be considered a land of "injustice, untouchability and
idolatory" with Indians themselves contributing much to create a
negative image of their own country.
In the 1960s, India gained reputation as the "land of
enlightenment", with accent on yoga and spirituality.
"People from popular culture in the West, such as film stars and
singers, came to India to sit at the feet of gurus and learn
transcendental meditation, Dr. Elst said.
With the resurgence of nationalism in India, there were attempts to
rewrite history recorded under the British rule. However, the
tendency to claim that India was the "origin for everything", was
a "form of greed".
These views had been picked up and highlighted by those who wanted
to project a negative impression of India to the rest of the world.
The Chancellor of Avinashilingam University, K. Kulandaivel, who
presided, observed that Western historians had not brought out the
greatness of India.
There had been "distortions and misinterpretations" that had been
brought to light through current research, he added.
http://sulekha.com/hopper.asp?pg=4&SortBy=1
By Our Staff Reporter
COIMBATORE, JAN. 19. India will be the greatest contributor to the
universal world culture that is likely to develop in the years to
come, the Indologist Koenraad Elst, said here today.
Delivering a special lecture on `India's image in the West' at the
Avinashilingam University, Dr. Elst said, "In future, we are going
to have one universal civilisation in which the most valuable
elements of every culture will have a place. Most of these will be
traceable to India."
Many of the worthwhile elements that the Indian civilisation had
produced over long periods of time would be useful for everyone in
the world.
Some of these universal precepts such as vegetarianism and yoga were
now being practised abroad even by people who had never visited
India.
"At present, the rest of the world is standing in awe of India as a
land of brains and intellect, most conspicuously in computer
science. India is also taking off economically, with many industries
that were destroyed or moved to Britain during British rule, coming
back to the country," he said, and added that this was the result of
the inborn talent and working capacity of Indians.
Dr. Elst said that in the past, India had been identified with
poverty and misery.
People in the developed countries lived under the impression that
these undesirable conditions could be removed only by combating
negative and inhuman practices.
Despite the developmental efforts after Independence, India
continued to be considered a land of "injustice, untouchability and
idolatory" with Indians themselves contributing much to create a
negative image of their own country.
In the 1960s, India gained reputation as the "land of
enlightenment", with accent on yoga and spirituality.
"People from popular culture in the West, such as film stars and
singers, came to India to sit at the feet of gurus and learn
transcendental meditation, Dr. Elst said.
With the resurgence of nationalism in India, there were attempts to
rewrite history recorded under the British rule. However, the
tendency to claim that India was the "origin for everything", was
a "form of greed".
These views had been picked up and highlighted by those who wanted
to project a negative impression of India to the rest of the world.
The Chancellor of Avinashilingam University, K. Kulandaivel, who
presided, observed that Western historians had not brought out the
greatness of India.
There had been "distortions and misinterpretations" that had been
brought to light through current research, he added.
http://sulekha.com/hopper.asp?pg=4&SortBy=1