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.

Ucchisṭa

From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia

By Swami Harshananda

Ucchisṭa literally means ‘the leftover’.

In the most general sense, it means anything left over after a rite or action. For instance, oblation materials like ghee leftover after a homa or a yajña[1] is ucchiṣṭa. However it is more commonly used with regard to the food leftover in the plate after a person has eaten. Though some dharmaśāstras like the Baudhāyana-dharmasutras[2][3] allow a disciple to eat the ucchiṣṭa of his guru. This practice was discouraged later.


References[edit]

  1. Yajña means sacrifice.
  2. Baudhāyana-dharmasutras 1.2.34
  3. Baudhāyana-dharmasutras 1.2.37
  • The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore