Posted inIndia

More evidence of Hindu nationalism in India

It's amusing how some commenters on a recent blog post where I shared an opinion piece about India trampling on the rights of people in Kashmir (who are mostly Muslim) are claiming that Hindu nationalism is "fake news."  Actually, Hindu nationalism is real, and dangerous in the same way that Christian nationalism in the United States is. For more evidence, here's a New York Times story, "India Plans Big Detention Camps for Migrants. Muslims Are Afraid." Excerpts: NEW DELHI — More than four million people in India, mostly Muslims, are at risk of being declared foreign migrants as the government…
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Posted inIndia

Hindu nationalism, Modi, and Kashmir

I make no claim to being an expert on either the history of India or current happenings in this vast, complicated country. But news stories I've read about India's crackdown on Kashmir, which historically has enjoyed a large degree of independence, certainly are disturbing. As is the rise in Hindu nationalism, which bears some disturbing resemblance to the cries of fundamentalist Christians in the United States, "This is a Christian nation!"  Which is untrue. Just as it is untrue that India is a Hindu nation. At any rate, I just came across a Washington Post opinion piece by Kapil Komireddi,…
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Posted inIndia

Mumbai bolly-hop team gives a miracle dance performance

Hey, I don't believe in supernatural miracles, but I sure believe in miracles of physicality that I can see with my own eyes. Here's a mind-blowing performance on a recent World of Dance episode by The Kings -- a bolly-hop (mixture of Bollywood and hip-hop styles) team from Mumbai, India.  Their personal stories, not shown in this video, also were inspiring. I recall they said they had to walk quite a few miles to practice together, and had to practice on beach sand because they couldn't afford to use a dance studio with cushiony mats to absorb falls and such.…
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Posted inFundamentalism India

More religious craziness, Hindu temple variety

Every religion has its own brand of craziness. None is exempt. Why? Because the very notion of supernaturalism is crazy, since there is zero, repeat zero, demonstrable evidence that gods, angels, souls, heaven, hell, or any other supernatural entity exists. When I was younger I used to believe that Hinduism was a bit more appealing than, say, Christianity, because it wasn't as dogmatic a religion. However, as I began reading about Hindu nationalism in India, I came to realize that many fundamentalist Hindus are just as crazy as their counterparts in other religions. Case in point: a New York Times…
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Posted inIndia Karma Religions

Three comments show absurdity of “karmic blaming”

Karma can be a dangerous concept. It's harmless enough if we simply think of it as the laws of cause and effect that guide our universe.  But when people extend this concept to include supernatural fantasies, such as that our actions in past lives have determined what happens to us in this life, then the notion of karma needs to be criticized harshly. The not-nice canine in the Dilbert comic strip, Dogbert, captured the essence of this nicely. And it doesn't matter whether someone uses the term "karma" or some other word. It's the idea of karmic blaming that has…
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Posted inIndia

Roles of Indian women reflected in Singh brothers saga

I readily admit that, not suprisingly, I'm much more familiar with the roles of women here in the United States than in India, a country I've only visited twice for brief periods.  My impression (and please correct me if I'm wrong, something many commenters on my posts love to do) is that just as India is transitioning to a modern advanced economy, Indian women are likewise moving from traditional roles to more empowered and co-equal roles in relation to men. A couple of stories in the Indian business press caught my eye in this regard. Here's excerpts from a September…
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