this is a very good thread. Challenge however is whether a true perspective shift can occur by engaging with the western academic framework, or by rejecting it completely roots up and building a true alternative model. 2nd option is a nuclear solution.
https://twitter.com/indumathi37/status/1354135703223988226
There is of course a political dimension to this. Mere studying of a knowledge system is futile unless one is able to apply it in his/her sphere of influence and make tangible change. And by change I dont mean charity or self help groups. I mean application + subversion of power
The problem in the Indian/Hindutva political scene is that it is too obsessed with "normalizing" of itself - and in that process it often becomes a validation seeker, especially and perversely when it gets even a modicum of power.
this is the true battle of decoloniality - one may be a devout/learned person steeped in Indic knowledge systems. But is (s)he able to apply that in policy? Not as a one off exception, but NORMALIZATION WITHOUT SEEKING VALIDATION?
In the end, we need the marriage of tapas + purushartha + bhakti in order to change the world. Focusing on any one of these at the cost of others is path to ruin.
Life of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is a great example of this. His greatest genius was in lifting people around him by applying the internalized gyaan he had received from his guru to create tangible power structures. That is the reason why he succeeded and so many others failed
The decline of VijayNagar, on the other hand, is a great example of how a decline in Tapas shakti enfeebles the power structures that support a society, corrupting them and ultimately inviting destruction.
Coming back to original tweet - Shivaji Maharaj waited until he was strong enough to openly take on the barbarians, but then annihilated them completely. Engagement with western academia should follow the same and real change would remain elusive despite all efforts.
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