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.

Dipastambha

From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia

By Swami Harshananda

Dipastambha literally means ‘the lamp-post’.

Dipastambha

One of the constituents of a temple complex is the dipastambha or the lamppost. It is situated either in front of the balipīṭha[1] or outside the main gate. The top of this post has a bud-shaped chamber to receive the lamp.

During the days when electricity was not invented, a lamp-post served to give light in the public area to allow free movement.


References[edit]

  1. Balipīṭha is a pedestal of sacrificial offerings.
  • The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore