КУЛЬТУРНІ ВІЙНИ НАВКОЛО ІНДУЇЗМУ В СУЧАСНІЙ ІНДІЇ. РЕЦ. НА: ELST K. HINDU DHARMA AND THE CULTURE WARS. NEW DELHI: RUPA PUBLICATIONS, 2019. 261 P.

Abstract

The term “culture war” dates back to the nineteenth century Germany history when Otto von Bismark started a struggle with the Church for control over education. Since then the term conveys the debate between modern and religious worldview and any non-economic controversy in the society. In contemporary India culture war around Hinduism is currently being fought by so-called “Nehruvian secularists” and the “Hindu right”. The former are the proponents of political nationalism or Indian nationalism, latter would see the future of India in cultural nationalism referring to Hindutva ideology. The author criticizes both sides of the discussion, but his worldview is more in tune with the right-wing nationalists. Up to him Hinduism is discriminated in modern India by law and to the Constitution of India made by biased westernized elites of the colonial times. For instance, the secularists’ education policy nowadays creates the situation when minority schools are subsidized by the government, while Hindu schools have either to be closed or turned into ordinary secular unsubsidized governmental schools. He accuses “secularists” of harboring westernized views on Hinduism and pro-minority biases. The latter refer to the situations, when what is approved of in the case of Christian or Muslim minorities appears to be the matter of disapproval with regard to Hindu majorities. The author criticizes the Hindu right-wing groups for also harboring – albeit unconsciously – westernized views on their native religion and anti-Hindu politics.

The culture war around Hinduism is being waged on not only the political scene, but in the public sphere and academia. According to Koenraad Elst, the international Indology has now become anti-Hindu. The “academes” are biased toward secularist views and are incapable of self-critique.

For all the variety of topics covered in the 25 essays that the book is comprised of, the above line of argument is present everywhere and appears to be the author’s favorite idea. Though an ideological line of his endeavors is clear and remains marginal in the Indological circles, his thoughts are proof-based and have logic inside his paradigm. Elst’s essays are very rich in facts and demonstrate a broad knowledge of Indian culture. The language of his book is very lucid, diverse, and sometimes emotional, which makes the reading delightful and intellectually stimulating.