Two years ago, when I was living in Singapore and sent this piece to the Straits Times, I was expecting a rejection. After all, they had rejected some of my earlier pieces. (1) straitstimes.com/opinion/indias…
But, in this article, I pointed out that in Singapore the ties with European colonising powers are remembered better than the deep-rooted influence of a non-colonising India (2).
I wondered why the Sanskrit name of Singapura did not evoke an image of the Sanskritic kingdoms centred in Indonesia, which were highly civilised and cultured. (3)
The marvels of engineering, logistics and management that we witness in temples of Angkor Wat and Borobodur were built by Indic dynasties that stand as reminders of the glorious civilisation that emanated from India. (4)
To my surprise, the editor responded with many questions which I answered to the best of my ability. On learning about the history of universities in India she said she did know anything other than Nalanda. (5)
Also, she told me that only recently she had come to know that the Chinese classic "Journey to the West" describing travels in an exotic land with a monkey king was based on Xuan Zhang's travels to India. India was "the west" to China! (6)
Anyway, this piece got published not just in the online edition but in print which is always a matter of prestige for writers. I feel a quiet sense of satisfaction for having made some important points in the national paper of Singapore. (7)
I meant she did NOT know anything other than Nalanda.
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
