Colonial Discourse and the Suffering of Indian American Children Book Cover.webp

In this book, we analyze the psycho-social consequences faced by Indian American children after exposure to the school textbook discourse on Hinduism and ancient India. We demonstrate that there is an intimate connection—an almost exact correspondence—between James Mill’s colonial-racist discourse (Mill was the head of the British East India Company) and the current school textbook discourse. This racist discourse, camouflaged under the cover of political correctness, produces the same psychological impacts on Indian American children that racism typically causes: shame, inferiority, embarrassment, identity confusion, assimilation, and a phenomenon akin to racelessness, where children dissociate from the traditions and culture of their ancestors.


This book is the result of four years of rigorous research and academic peer-review, reflecting our ongoing commitment at Hindupedia to challenge the representation of Hindu Dharma within academia.

Āṣāḍha

From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia

By Swami Harshananda

The fourth month of the lunar calendar is called Āṣāḍha (June-July). In this month the full-moon is said to be near the constellation Āṣāḍhā.

The ekādaśī (11th day) of the bright fortnight of this month is christened ‘śayanī’ since it was believed that Lord Viṣṇu went to bed on this day, to wake up again on the ekādaśī of kārttika bright fortnight, called ‘prabodhinī or bodhinī.’ The legend of Viṣṇu’s going to bed for four months might be symbolic of the disappearance of the sun (who is also Viṣṇu) behind the clouds during the rainy season.

The deity Subrahmaṇya (also known as Saṇmukha and Skanda) is associated with this month. The sixth day of the bright fortnight called ‘Skandaṣasth' is an important festival observed especially in South India.


References[edit]

  • The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore

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