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.

Āmantrana, nimantraṇa

From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia

By Swami Harshananda

Āmantraa, Nimantraṇa literally means ‘invitation’.

Inviting brāhmaṇas for partaking the food during a śrāddha ceremony is an important part of that ritual. The dharma-śāstras prescribe elaborate rules with regard to the type of brāhmaṇas to be invited and also the mode of inviting them.

The two words constantly used in this connection are ‘āmantraṇa’ and ‘nimantraṇa.’ Though they are often used synonymously, subtle distinctions are sometimes made. A ‘nimantraṇa’ is more or less compulsory to accept. If the invitee rejects it without proper grounds, he is said to incur sin. But ‘āmantraṇa’ does not imply compulsion. The invitee has much greater freedom to accept or reject it.


References[edit]

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