Vinay Lal – författare

Why do Hindus revere the cow?Must Hindus be vegetarian? Hinduism is the world's oldest religion, yet the word 'Hindu' was never used before the 18th century by Hindus to describe themselves. it is defined as polytheistic, but Gandhi declared that a Hindu needn't believe in any god. it is a religion as much of myth as of history - it has no founder, no single authoritative book, even few central doctrines.Introducing Hinduism offers a guide to the key philosophical, literary, mythological and cultural traditions of the extraordinarily diverse faith.  It untangles the complexities of Hinduism's gods and goddesses, its caste system and its views on sex, everyday life and asceticism. Vinay Lal and Borin Van Loon's hugely enjoyable tour through Hinduism also explores its links with and differences from Buddhism, Jainism and other religions, the resurgence of Hindu extremism, the phenomenon of Bollywood and the overseas Hindu diaspora.

The book, the third volume to emerge from the enterprise known as 'The Backwaters Collective on Metaphysics and Politics', attempts to further the collective's ambition to put into question the certitudes of conventional social science discourse, decolonize the dominant knowledge frameworks, and understand how the intellectual and cultural resources of Indian civilization may be deployed to think both, about some problems in contemporary politics and culture, and to introduce greater plurality into the world of modern knowledge systems. Some of the collective's members remain deeply committed to reinitiating metaphysics into politics, and similarly, the collective's enduring interest in Narayana Guru is reflected in at least three chapters. Although engagement with Gandhi and Ambedkar is a familiar part of the Indian intellectual landscape, other chapters on offer pivot around histories of power, performative traditions, and modes of worship. Unlike the scholarship that is now the norm, organized around a distinct theme, this volume exhibits a more daring approach to India's intellectual traditions, traversing the world of Kannada intellectuals, the Kashmir Shaiva tradition, a Marathi Bhakti poet, and a contemporary Indian philosopher, as much as conceptual ideas drawn from a wide array of Indian texts and experiences.

The anthology presents a diverse array of essays delving into Gandhi's political activities, ethical beliefs, and philosophical stance. Distinguished Gandhian scholars contribute to this collection, setting it apart from similar compilations by focusing not just on Gandhi's impact or the debate over his relevance, but on maintaining his bold ethical ideals and progressive views in an era of skepticism. The essays delve into Gandhi's comprehensive dissection of political logic, his concept of neighbourly political bonds, his fearlessness and adeptness as a yogi. The work also discusses the worldwide landscape of nonviolence, Gandhi's perspectives on Palestine, his legal work in South Africa, his dialogues with Tagore, the pursuit of his ethical goals, and the portrayal of his persona, as well as the ongoing relevance of his nonviolent resistance methods, as seen in India's anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protests. These pieces portray Gandhi as a perpetual participant in limitless endeavours, as described by philosopher James Carse. The book concludes with an interview with Rev. James Lawson, a pivotal figure in the American civil rights movement, which offers a fresh perspective. The Gandhi that emerges from these reflections and intellectual explorations has become all but a stranger to India, and especially to his native Gujarat.

India and Civilizational Futures is the second volume to emerge from the deliberations of the Backwaters Collective on Metaphysics and Politics, a group comprised largely of Indian scholars, writers, and intellectuals that was formed in late 2010 with the intent of considering how the intellectual and cultural resources of Indic civilization, and more broadly the Global South, might be deployed to introduce incommensurability and greater plurality into the world of modern knowledge systems. The members and friends of the Collective are animated by various passions: though some are interested in the decolonization of the university and in exploring other sites of learning, and others wish to put into serious question the most familiar categories that have informed humanistic inquiry and social science research, they are united both in their quest to engender an ecological plurality of knowledges and reinitiate metaphysics into the discourses of politics. The authors of the papers in this volume offer perspectives on India's past and intellectual traditions that suggest how we might liberate ourselves from the straightjackets of history, development, normal politics, the nation-state, and what globally passes for 'common sense' in various spheres of life and thought.

Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay was a remarkable woman a gifted writer and an activist central to the making of the modern Indian nation. India's representative to the Global South for many years after independence, Kamaladevi figured prominently in discussions of and studies on Indian women and independence. But in more mainstream histories she remains relatively unknown. A Passionate Life brings together for the first time a collection of Kamaladevi's writings on the subjects closest to her heart. These essays include a close look at the lives of tribal peoples in India, the sustaining of handicrafts and handicraft workers, and issues of history. In doing so, the volume questions not only our methods of writing and recovering history which leave out lives as important as hers but also shows how the surfacing of histories like Kamaladevi's can enrich, expand, and add nuance to our understanding of the making of modern India. Crucial new essays and commentary by the editors accompany Kamaladevi's writings.

This text explores the politics of history writing in modern India. It narrates the engagement of a civilization with historical sensibility and modality. In doing so, it asserts that history, in order to be understood better, has to deploy the language of the layperson in India and interact with the mythic, the ahistorical and the folk.