*** GUEST POST by Sh RAJU MALIGER ***
In my previous article (pl. see A rebuttal to Abul Kasem – “Women in Hinduism” by R Maliger), I had refuted Abul Kasem’s derogatory views on women in Vedic culture. In this article, I would like to emphasize on how Vedas glorify Mother Goddess and women.
When we enter Hindu temples, it is a blissful scene to observe a female deity worshipped alongside a male deity. Common examples of such deities are Vishnu-Lakshmi, Radha-Krishna, and Shiva-Parvati. Vedas consider male and female of all …

Dear All: Thank you for a very engaging and educative discussion on the earlier post on Marayada Purushottam, Sita Mata, Agni Pariksha and Vaali Vadh. I have been unusually busy for the past few days and have barely had a chance to read all the comments properly. I will try and respond to them in due course.
This post was prompted specifically by Patriot’s question at comment #8 to the earlier post. In that comment, Patriot wrote:
I have not said Ram is all good or all bad – in fact, it …

Lord Curzon, the late Viceroy of India, in an address delivered at the Delhi Durbar in 1901:
Powerful Empires existed and flourished here [in India] while Englishmen were still wandering painted in the woods, and while the British Colonies were a wilderness and a jungle.
India has left a deeper mark upon the history, the philosophy, and the religion of mankind, than any other terrestrial unit in the universe. [ link ]
Related Posts:
The Myth of a Benevolent “Raj” 
India in the 1820s
Loot – in search of East India Co. (excerpts) 
Clearing the dust off …

Dear All: This post is a “lazy post”…i.e. a collection of comments on another post which branched off on the topic of Bhagwaan Shri Ram, Sita Mata, Agni Parikshaa, Vaali Vadh etc.
I have excerpted the comments and opened this new thread since they offer (I feel) a very good basis for a thought-provoking discussion on a highly controversial but sensitive topic …and is an issue I believe must have engaged the minds of many Hindus and Indians.
Without further ado, here is the collection of comments starting with this one by Nanda, …

This part begins from comments that were triggered following a post by Incognito (in which he referred to Nemo’c comment @ #51) on the earlier thread. Since it was in danger of getting overloaded (100+ comments already), I decided to move the recent comments here and start this new thread.
Please continue the discussion here…
I am reproducing excerpts from Nemo’s comment first (for context), followed by Incognito’s and others comments… Please read on:
*** COMMENTS BEGIN (CAUTION: Long Post) ***
Excerpts from Comment By Nemo (#51):
…
Hindus have had enough of the racist myth which …

*** UPDATE ***
Pl. see my comment at # 12 and Nanda’s at # 13.
***
This is a very hurried (but almost effortless) post…the kind of post in which words simply flow out (or almost type themselves out).
Many of you (by now) must have read about the “attack” on Charlie Chaplin’s “statue” in Udupi, Karnataka (e.g. BJP activists attack ‘Christian’ Chaplin statue).
Leaving aside the “sensationalisation” of the incident (I could not find a description of any ”attack” in the report above; it mentions BJP activists “blocked” the installation of the statue) – and there is no denying …

Dear All: It is my pleasure to publish this very direct and blunt article by Dr Ajai Singh, M.D. and Editor of Mens Sana Monographs… Please do read and think about the points he has raised…Many of them make for uncomfortable reading…but these questions need to be asked and the ideas need to be discussed.
*** ”Straight Talk: The Challenge Before Modern Day Hinduism“  by Ajai Singh *** 
I wish to do some straight talk in this communication. No beating about the bush, no offering illusory solace.
I write this on the Oscar win for the film …

Some of you may have come across an article on Islam-watch recently that contained several derogatory references – supposedly from vedic texts – towards women and their position in ancient Hindu society. I was first alerted to it a few weeks ago by Jagmohan.
While I was still trying to compile references and source material to refute the claims made in the article, Parama Karuna-ji introduced me to Raju Maliger who forwarded me his rebuttal to Abul Kasem.
I would put this essay by Sh Maliger in the category of *Must read*. …

Thanks to Krishen-ji for alerting me to this article by Dr Arvind Sharma. The essay examines (in Krishen-ji’s words)
How authoritative really was Manu, and was his a contested text? Was the Manusmriti prescriptive of what he believed should be or descriptive of how society really was, or both?
In any case, what the article conclusively demonstrates is that “caste” as it is used in sociopolitical discourse today does not go back 3000 years as conventionally claimed, but is relatively recent.”  (emphasis mine)
Excerpts from “What Was Manu Up To?“
I should begin by clarifying that …

*** CAUTION: Long Post ***
About a month ago, I came across a “History” site meant for kids which had this “Ramayana Project for Kids“. Under “Some points for discussion”, it mentioned:
The Ramayana is …an Aryan story, and they show the people of southern India as bad monkeys – not even human.
How should we feel about this? Should we not perform the play? Should we try to show that Hanuman and the monkeys are people too?
In response, I wrote the following letter to Dr Carr who was managing this project and …