Introduction
The Concept of an Indian Identity and Mindset continues....


Without a correct perception of our identity in history, India cannot achieve a renaissance. That perception is that the subcontinent of what the world knew as India is the cradle of Hindu civilization, and that while others may have come in sporadic migrations, the civilization became inclusive but the core remained the same: Hindu. That is our identity. We are, will remain at the core, and continue to be globally recognized as a Hindu civilization, which the nation state must represent and fiercely defend.

While the identity thus stated must be unambiguous, nevertheless for it to become vibrant and virile, it is essential that the conceptualization takes the form of a mindset of the Indian. Such a mindset should become an intrinsic part of the ethos of the nation. The challenge for the coming century—for India to revive itself as a nation and a culture—is to recreate the India model of education in the modern context, in which the dichotomy between science and religion is resolved. We must move beyond not only dogmatic and exclusive religions on the one hand, but also materialistic science on the other. We must recreate religion as a form of science and science as a form of spirituality.

On a practical level this means that the spiritual heritage of India—the Vedas, Upanishads, Yoga and Vedanta and Buddhism—must be taught in the schools as an integral part not only of Indian culture but of the global heritage of spiritual sciences. Sanskrit, the language that is the vehicle for most of these great teachings, therefore must also be given emphasis and its teaching made compulsory.

This requires a new intelligentsia in India, that takes pride in ancient Hindu concepts and ceases to blindly imitate Western models of thinking in the name of modernization. It also requires that the religious institutions, temples and ashrams offer classes on Vedic science, Hindu culture and their modern adaptation. Indian identity has to be rooted in Hinduism. This is possible only if every Indian understands the foundations of Hindu philosophy.


to be continued...