The New Stereotypes of Hindus in Western Indology
(Ed. by Vishal Agarwal; Contributors incl. Bharat Gupt, Chitra Raman, Aditi Banerjee, Pramod Pathak)
Hinduworld Publisher, ISBN 9781312111547 Price: $19.99 ![New Stereotypes of Hindus in Western Indology]()
Vishal Agarwal has masterfully offered an elaborate critique of Wendy Doniger’s “The Hindus: An Alternative History” in this book. Dr. Doniger is one of the prominent Western Indologists who had authored the controversial book on history of Hindus, demeaning Hinduism as a religion of sex and perversion. In that book, Hindu Deities are presented as lustful, Hindu saints are falsely alleged by the author to have indulged in sexual orgies, or to have 'taken actions against Muslims', Hindu worshippers are compared to cheating boyfriends, ‘intoxication’ is a ‘central theme of the Vedas’ and Hindu scriptures are presented as a litany of tales of ‘faithful women forsaken by their ungrateful husbands.’ Prof. Doniger, in her book, transforms Hinduphobia into an academically acceptable pursuit. The author has offered a nuanced critique of Prof. Doniger's book paragraph by paragraph. This is a must read by all those who are affected by Hinduphobia.
After a four year legal battle with the Shiksha Bachao Andolan Samiti, Penguin Books India decided to withdraw Wendy Doniger’s book ‘The Hindus, an Alternative History.’ During the legal proceedings, the judges apparently remarked that her book was vulgar. The response of Doniger to this development has been schizophrenic. On one hand, she continues to react angrily towards the Samiti and its leaders, as well as against the Indian laws, and real or imagined Hindu nationalists. On the other hand, she gloats quite artlessly that the controversy boosted the sales of her book. In the midst of this controversy, the real issues of academic rigor and integrity have been lost. Or perhaps, they are being deliberately obfuscated by the defenders of the flawed book. This fairly lengthy review of Doniger’s book shows that far from its professed claim of presenting Hinduism through the eyes of women and lower castes, it actually demeans them by projecting alternative sexuality on their persona, and by describing them as helpless victims of the upper-caste Hindu male. There is hardly any coverage of their glowing contributions to Hinduism. The book has hundreds of verifiable factual errors that make even her interpretations suspect. And she has not merely reproduced but has even amplified colonial stereotypes of the Hindus as the violent, hypersexual, minority killing, irrational, unloving and superstitious other. It is sad that while the world is becoming a big global village, some ‘scholars’ have relapsed into reprehensible colonial interpretations in the name of ‘alternative’ scholarship.
Hardcover, Amazon, kindle editions are next. Any proceeds from sales are donated to Hindu institutions.