Thread by @vakibs

The phrase “cultural revolution” to describe what is normally called as “decolonization” is intriguing. Mao has actually systematically destroyed Chinese culture in his “cultural revolution”. How does this Orwellian newspeak word describe Indians speaking Indian languages? 🙂

https://twitter.com/industhink/status/1381146197457440775

Please suggest Indian language words for “decolonization”. I spoke about this with some friends before, we don’t yet have a mature Indian language terminology for these phrases. I will describe my suggestions:

Colonization: వశీకరణ वशीकरण
Decolonization: నిర్వశీకరణ निर्वशीकरण

This is a widely used for colonization, from उपनिवेश (additional habitat, colony). I think it works. But please also suggest the corresponding usages for “colonized minds”, “decolonization” etc. I don’t think it works well there.

https://twitter.com/SVOjha/status/1381153894877761537

The word “vaśi” वशि means “conquered, subjugated” etc. A “colonized mind” would be “vaśya buddhī” वश्यबुद्धि. The word वश्य means dependent, controlled etc. A “decolonized mind” can be “निर्वश्यबुद्धि” where the वश्य state is removed. Also, विमुक्तबुद्धि “liberated mind”.

An interesting aside is that “avaśya” अवश्य which is the opposite of “vaśya” वश्य has come to mean “definitely, immediately” in spoken language. It actually means “independent” (as in independent variable in logic). If it is not dependent on anything, it can be done immediately.

I am fully aware of this other popular meaning of “vaśīkarana”, which is “possession”, as in “being possessed by a ghost or an evil spirit”, or “being mentally brainwashed into doing favors”.

This meaning fits 100% with “colonized minds” in thrall to English.

https://twitter.com/andfragment/status/1381159501701685248

There is a story of great wisdom in Indic literature about how colonization works, and how a free state can be conquered by a colonial power. It is of Ajātaśatru of Magadha conquering the Republic of Vajji, through the cunning of his minister Vassakāra.
wisdomlib.org/definition/vas…

The Republic of Vajji (whose capital city was Vaiśāli) belonged to Licchavi Janapada. They couldn’t be conquered, unless by deceit and by the spread of disunity amongst them. Vassakāra (Sanskrit: Varshakāra) plots to do this by becoming their teacher and slowly brainwashing them.

Amazing how similar the adopted strategies in colonization by the British are. The root of our (still ongoing) colonization is the cunning of scholars like Vassakāra. A strange serendipity in name, I would say Vaśyakāra वश्यकार, one who enables the subjugation of another people.

The modern Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य) is akin to the Republic of Vaiśāli. The only difference is that the instruments of colonization today (the Vaśyakāras) are powerful AI algorithms, trained on large realms of data stolen from the Indian citizens.

wisdomlib.org/buddhism/book/…

We must understand that unless we develop our own intellectual vocabulary, and build robust institutions for native intellectual discourse, we stand defenseless before the cunning of Vassakāras of today (whether human or AI, or hybrid). So let’s start with “decolonization”.