Colonial Discourse and the Suffering of Indian American Children is now freely available.
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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.

Adhvara

From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia

By Swami Harshananda

Adhvara literally means ‘that which leads by a straight, therefore true, path’.

Human beings by nature, are interested in getting the good things of life so that they can live in comfort, happiness and peace. Those of them that believe in an after-life, are also interested in performing those acts here, that assure them a happy life hereafter.

If the religious and spiritual leaders do not show them the right way, in all likelihood, they will adopt the wrong way, the way of selfishness, competition and even fighting among themselves. Hence it is the need to show them the right path, the straight path, the good path. This is exactly what ‘adhvara’ is.

Etymologically it means a path which is not crooked, which does not cause harm to others.

But in usage, it means a Vedic sacrifice. Since the Vedic sacrifices point the straight and good path for the fulfillment of man’s wishes, here and hereafter, they are designated ‘adhvara.’

References[edit]

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

Contributors to this article

Krishna Maheshwari, Deval Sancheti

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