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On December 16, 2005, India
Abroad carried its interview of HAF Legal Counsel Suhag Shukla
regarding the portrayal of Hinduism in school textbooks and
the California textbook revision process. Since then, several
Letters to the Editor have been published commenting on the
interview. HAF wrote a Letter to the Editor to clarify points
made in some of these letters as well as to comment on the
overall response of Indian Americans.
January 23, 2006
Dear Editor,
As a second-generation Indian-American mother,
I am unapologetically dedicated to instilling understanding,
reverence and, yes, a sense of pride in my two children for
their Hindu religion and heritage. And as legal counsel for
HAF, my goal is to further awareness of Hinduism in this country
and to be a voice in promoting the universal Hindu ethos of
tolerance and pluralism. At HAF, we have been gratified by
the massive outpouring of support for our work and that of
other Hindu groups in California to correct anachronistic,
derogatory and imbalanced depictions of Hinduism in school
textbooks (see the original text, proposed edits and commentary
at http://www.hinduismtoday.com/press_releases/).
While attacks from non-Hindu academics with
no expertise in Hinduism, and whose careers have been consumed
by advocating pre-modern theories now engulfed by debate,
were expected, I have personally been shocked by the unshakable
obsession of so many Indian-Americans to view every effort
in this country through the prism of their own political ideologies
from India. Almost playing right along a colonialist paradigm,
Professor Witzel and his ilk, with one letter to the California
School Board of Education (SBE) using the word, “Hindutva-inspired,”
have effectively divided fellow Indian Americans into an antagonistic,
contentious and dithering populace—divided and conquered
we remain. While Jewish and Islamic groups were able to pass
many more changes in the textbooks with a united front than
Hindus even attempted, the SBE has been bulldozed by a cacophony
of self-destructive voices from Indian Americans labelling
each other as Hindutvavadi, leftist, communist, Dalit, untouchable,
etc.
I am also astounded by the absurd suggestion
of some that instead of focusing on the positive aspects of
all world religions that have been a source of inspiration
to billions, that the texts should not be “banal”
and should instead highlight how religion has been misused
to perpetuate social evils. Are we forgetting that the target
audience of these books is innocent and impressionable eleven
and twelve year olds? Knowing that for many sixth graders,
these units on Hinduism will most likely be their first and
last introduction to Hinduism, should the focus of the texts
be on social evils and on what outsiders over the centuries
have found “exotic,” or should the six or seven
page unit focus on Hindu philosophy and the religion’s
contributions to world civilization as do the units on Christianity,
Judaism and Islam? If I am Hindutva-inspired in demanding
that the Aryan invasion theory be taught as what it is—a
theory; for clarifying that the varna/jati system being distorted
to subjugate others is a horrible social evil prevailing among
adherents of all religions in South Asia; and for asking that
in addressing the inequities in the status of ancient women
that a discussion regarding the concept of shakti or feminine
divinity and the historical existence of brahmacarinis, sanyasinis
and female saints also be included—then I am guilty
as charged.
And to the “progressive” groups
so quick to oppose Hindu efforts in California, I ask only
that where have they been…when HAF took on truly progressive
issues in this country featured in the pages of this very
newspaper: opposing the display of the Ten Commandments in
public places before the U.S. Supreme Court, opposing public
prayer that excluded diverse voices in Virginia and advocating
human rights in South Asia in the U.S. Congress? Or is “progressive”
in a South Asian context tantamount to Hinduphobia?
Sincerely,
Suhag A. Shukla, Esq.
Hindu American Foundation, Legal Counsel
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