A fake speech of Macauley is doing rounds on social media where he tells the British Parliament of the greatness of Indian culture and his strategy to decimate it! Many believe it.
Macaulay's intent was quite different from what has been propagated by Indian leaders and public intellectuals, who love to live in their own sectarian mental chambers.
Macaulay’s intervention led to a colonial mentality in several sections of India. But because of English language, it also led to a lot of unintended consequences.
The Indian Right and Liberals all accepted the British conception of Hindu, Muslim and British India and the country's eventual decline. What they disagreed on was its cause.
Robert Clive defeated India and didn’t question caste. Mahatma Macaulay envisioned India as a free nation and critiqued caste. That explains why Indians hate one more than the other.
Macaulay had total contempt for Indian literature and for Middle Eastern writing in Persian or Arabic. He was supremely confident that English schoolgirls are better informed than Indian scholars.
At the launch of ‘Arya Yug’ in Mumbai, Bhagwat said Indians educated under the Macaulay system have ‘foreign minds and intellects’, urging a return to indigenous knowledge traditions.
The BCCI decision has given new life to the lunatic fringe of the Hindu Right. It now has the confidence to force policy changes in accordance with its communal campaigns.
The latest comment comes as New Delhi and Washington have yet to sign a trade agreement. India’s purchase of Russian oil has reduced, but Moscow remains top source for crude.
If deal goes through, Greece will be 2nd foreign country to procure vehicle. Morocco was first; TATA Group has set up manufacturing unit there with minimum 30 percent indigenous content.
Many of you might think I got something so wrong in National Interest pieces written this year. I might disagree! But some deserve a Mea Culpa. I’d deal with the most recent this week.
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