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

Colonial Discourse and the Suffering of Indian American Children is now published after academic peer-review and available through open access.

In this book, we analyze the psycho-social consequences that Indian American children face after they are exposed to the school textbook discourse on Hinduism and ancient India. We show that there is an intimate connection―an almost exact correspondence―between James Mill’s ( a prominent politician in Britain and head of the British East India Company) colonial-racist discourse and the current school-textbook discourse. Consequently, this archaic and racist discourse, camouflaged under the cover of political correctness, produces in the Indian American children the same psychological impact as racism is known to produce: shame, inferiority, embarrassment, identity confusion, assimilation, and a phenomenon similar to racelessness where the children dissociate from the tradition and culture of their ancestors

This book is an outcome of 4 years of rigorous research as a part of our ongoing commitment at Hindupedia to challenge the representation of Hindu Dharma within Academia.

Kula

From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia

By Swami Harshananda

The literal meaning of the word is ‘clan’ or ‘family’. It has been used in a more technical sense in the tāntrik literature. ‘Kula’ is interpreted as ‘Śakti’ or the ‘Divine Mother’. The disciplines of the tantras advocating her worship are known as ‘Kaulamārga’ or ‘Kaulācāra’.

As per this definition, kula also mean the spiritual lineage from the guru to the disciple. The Adiguru or Primeval Teacher of this lineage is Śiva Himself. Kula, vaṅśa or gotra (lineage) is a very important factor considered especially in the settling of marriages.


References[edit]

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