श्रीकान्तः Profile picture
Indian Conservative of some kind, not sure which.
Pradeep Gowda Profile picture প্রদীপ্ত মৈত্র (Pradipto Moitra) Profile picture Vamsi Duvvuri Profile picture குமரவேல் / Kumaravel Profile picture avik_অভীক Profile picture 44 subscribed
Feb 19 5 tweets 1 min read
The career of Mayank Agarwal is a cautionary tale that one should be reminded of today given the hype around Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sarfaraz Khan

Agarwal was Bradmanesque in India. Unstoppable. 4 centuries including 2 doubles in 6 tests

Pedestrian abroad. Now a footnote Mayank still had an average of above 40 - pretty good for an opener - when he was discarded

One could argue he should've been given more chances

But the pipeline of talent is so rich in India that selectors had to look past him
Feb 8 8 tweets 2 min read
Modi is a boomer. And animated by things that "boomer to early millennial" right-wing Indians were animated by

Article 370, UCC, Ram mandir, Checkmating Pak

Ticking all those boxes

But Gen Z "right wingers" have different concerns - caste politics, fear of the subaltern The "trad" you see in H-twitter is an embryonic representation of a growing segment in H-society

Will get bigger

Under 30. Upper caste. Disillusioned with India. Fearing the assertive subalterns. Denied college seats by OBC quota. Socially conservative. Dislike feminism
Jan 20 9 tweets 2 min read
Nothing quite like this has ever happened in Hindu history

A temple that speaks to all Hindus of all denominations, traditions and castes. That transcends regional and lingual ties

That appeals to religious Hindus, political Hindus
A first in 3000 years of recorded H-history It is a product of modernity. A product of mass politics, mass consciousness, development of a historical sense among the teeming millions

Not a place of worship that develops out of elite patronage in the main (as is the case with most ancient temples)
Jan 2 6 tweets 2 min read
Many Indians still don't get it

Use your hard work and ingenuity to produce goods and services for the country. Don't use all that energy to crack a silly exam.

It's a sad commentary on our dysfunctional culture, on our economy, on lack of opportunities for our youth I was part of that crowd in my youth

Judging myself by my entrance exam rank. Feeling inferior or superior based on a single number

We have to outgrow that. Don't be too hung up on these badges (be it JEE, CAT, UPSC)

If you are so smart, try to make the world a better place
Dec 24, 2023 10 tweets 3 min read
विष्णु is usually regarded as a relatively "minor" god in Vedic literature

But as per Deborah Soifer, his distinguishing characteristics emerge in ऋग्वेदसंहिता itself

A benevolent kindly spirit
A "universal", "pervasive" character
Ability to intervene w/o arms in favor of gods In Soifer's view, the Puranic विष्णु who descends to the earth in different अवतारs to "save" mankind from अधर्म is not a latter-day evolution, but a continuation of the same essential traits which characterized the Vedic विष्णु
Apr 15, 2023 4 tweets 1 min read
Democracy works in India precisely because of its social structure, not despite it

Homogenous oriental societies (like China or Middle East) tend to autocracy

Democracy is well suited for "diverse" India as it ensures all groups a seat at the table and offers bargaining power India has gotten more homogenous in recent decades

Given rise of Hindutva, growing popularity of Hindi, weakening of caste

This has reflected in a stronger central govt, more unipolar polity, tendencies towards mild authoritarianism (some may call benevolent)

Not a surprise
Apr 13, 2023 6 tweets 2 min read
William WIlson Hunter describing Hinduism in 1886 in his work "Indian Empire" commissioned by the British government Image Hunter describing the "Brahman" class below in the same book

Rather provocative Image
Mar 11, 2023 4 tweets 1 min read
Hot take -

Hinduism is a fairly "relativist", "anything goes" religion if you take "brahminism" out of it

It is the brahminical religion that brings a certain puritanism to it, sans which you can use the numerous local traditions to drive whatever agenda that catches your fancy Which is why any kind of Hindu movement that is not brahminical will be fairly "liberal-ish"

The populist Hindutva of our times being no exception

It will be nativist no doubt, but also super susceptible to woke ideas and fads (which will be "indianized" and consumed)
Mar 5, 2023 5 tweets 1 min read
Many H-nationalist leaning Hindi enthusiasts are aghast that several southerners view Hindi as the language of Muslims / Turks

There's a historical reason for that. The spread of Hindavi / Khariboli into deep south in late medieval times was mediated by Muslim warlords

(contd) Of course Khariboli has roots preceding Islam. And yes, Hindi reinvented itself with a new sanskritized register in 19th cen, with the Hindi movement driven by the Hindu middle class (figures like Bharatendu)

But Southerners aren't aware of all that.
Mar 5, 2023 4 tweets 1 min read
Not a fan of rhetoric where it is categorically declared "my state's folks are more virtuous than your state's folks"

Try theorizing why that might be the case at least. That way, we can discuss the merits of the theory

Otherwise it is just inflamed rhetoric A major issue with Indians is -

We don't like taking a step back and evaluating stuff without emotional investment.

It's always "us vs them". You never become a third person and evaluate dispassionately
Feb 7, 2023 5 tweets 1 min read
It's amazing how poor mobile connectivity is in many parts of large cities like Bangalore, Mysore.

One may be earning a crore a year. Yet one struggles to make phone calls in many parts of the city!

One shudders to think of the situation in much smaller towns in hinterland This is where India lacks.

Infrastructure sucks. Starting from mobile connectivity to internet speeds to city roads to highways

High incomes in India merely buy you private luxury. But w.r.t. public goods you are v poor indeed
Jan 23, 2023 6 tweets 1 min read
On veg diet of well to-do ancestors vs today

Our ancestors likely ate LOT of calories
Massive amounts of rice/veggies. With high calorie intake, you'd hit abs protein req

And they'd burn it

Today we continue with carb heavy diet
But lower calories. So you fall short on protein To me this is contrary to the perception that we eat a lot of calories today and our ancestors didn't

I think calories have actually come down. We have work-lunches, breakfasts in a hurry. And we are mindful of gaining weight given limited exercise

So we actually eat less
Jan 22, 2023 5 tweets 2 min read
Mainstream model of an "indian veda" composed post settlement in India doesn't explain why shruti traditions are so distinct and tribal from inception (diff RV,YV clans for e.g.)

Model below argues for older origination of traditions among distinct IA tribes on the steppe itself Argument here is for origination of distinct hotA, adhvaryu, atharvan traditions etc on the steppe itself among completely distinct IA tribes on the move

If these traditions developed post assimilation with harappans in "India", there's no reason for them to remain tribal
Jan 21, 2023 7 tweets 2 min read
Ppl get super-defensive about वर्ण system even when trying to explain its historical context

In its origins वर्ण was three-fold & a purely Aryan concept. Sacred thread was open to all three वर्णs

Issues of hierarchy arose when Aryan culture expanded to include non-Aryan groups So you don't have to complicate the narrative too much by talking about karma, division of labor etc

It's straightforward. A three-fold system sans much hierarchy to start with. Whole Aryan society was eligible for initiation, and even study of श्रुति
Oct 30, 2018 8 tweets 2 min read
For those who bemoan "Caste endogamy" I have a question -

Are you also against cultural diversity?

The answer will most likely be "No".

To me that's a contradiction Cultural diversity stems in large measure from endogamy.

As endogamy erodes, diversity also erodes.

And that's PERFECTLY fine.

But one has to be aware of the tradeoff
Aug 7, 2018 73 tweets 11 min read
Muthuvel Karunanidhi, the Chief Minister of the southern state of Tamil Nadu for 5 separate terms between 1969 and 2011, passed away on Aug 7th at the age of 94.

He was the most major and consequential face of the “Dravidian movement” since Annadurai’s death in 1969 This was also coupled, if you remember, by the larger story of Tamil decline we discussed earlier.

But then 19th century changed the language equations for the first time in 500 years. Tamil made a comeback!
Jul 1, 2018 33 tweets 24 min read
There was a request from some to consolidate all my threads. Here it is!

Indian election history :

1931 census :

Karnataka's political exceptionalism:

(Contd..)

History of Indian conservatism :

Liberalism - a history :

On the unity of Vedic religion and modern Hinduism:

(Contd..)