Swadeshi Indology
The Swadeshi Indology Conference series has been envisioned to counter the 250-year-old narrative of Western Indology, the genre of Orientalism that focuses on India. As is well known, Western Indology helped formulate and legitimize the British colonial policies and played a very crucial role in the successful colonization and oppression of the Indian peoples; it very nearly destroyed the Sanātana Saṁskrti.
The Swadeshi Indology Conference Series and publications intend to analyze and respond to the well-orchestrated, systematic attack on:
- the foundational elements (the Veda-s, Upaniṣad-s, Itihāsa-s, and Purāṇa-s),
- the living principles (the puruṣārtha-s and the varṇāśrama system),
- the cultural manifestations (śāstra-s, kāvya-s, and kalā-s) and
- the sacredness of the still living articulations (art, temples, kumbha-mela, festivals, family and social-structures) – that embody sanātana dharma.
The spirit of investigation and the rigor of the Swadeshi Indology Conferences derive from the traditional Indian method of investigating one’s intellectual opponents – the PūrvaPakṣa–UttaraPakṣa tradition.
A prior requisite for an unbiased and unemotional intellectual investigation is a deep understanding of the views and theories of the opponents from their own perspectives and frameworks; it is this which finds expression as the formal PūrvaPakṣa.
Swadeshi Indology Conference Series comprise one of the activities of Infinity Foundation India.
Disclaimer: The views in the papers solely belong to those of the authors and neither Swadeshi Indology team nor Infinity Foundation endorses any views mentioned.
Conference Series
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Research Focus
The IFI organised Swadeshi Indology Conference Series intends to pursue research in and across the following broad areas. The list below is not exhaustive but is indicative of the overall scope of research.
Studies of shastras, practices, systems (including interpretation, translation)
- itihas, puranas, Dharmashastras, Arthashastra, etc
- Aagama – evidence of unity through architecture, rituals, symbolism, dance, arts, etc.
- Natya shastra, rasa and performing arts
- Nyaya, linguistics, etc.
- Tantra, yoga and other embodied practices
Aryan/Dravidian issues
- History of Dravidianism, emergence of Aryan/Dravidian studies.
- Theories and counter theories.
- Rise of Dravidian politics in Tamil Nadu.
- Spiritual streams in Tamil Nadu and their relation to modern Tamil society
- Linguistics: Tamil-Sanskrit relations
- Literary & philosophical unity of Tamil culture with Hinduism (Shaiva siddhanta, Vaishnavism, Tirrukural)
Jati, varna and caste: Traditional views, evolution of new views, political issues and remedies. Genetic/DNA studies on unity of Indians – many controversial claims and counter claims.
Women’s studies: traditional families, roles of women and evolution over time, modern situation, Western feminism and its impact on society.
Relationship of Buddhism, Jainism and Hinduism
Western Indology & Western Universalism
- Purva paksha and response to Subalternism, Postmodernism, Freudian psychoanalysis, Feminism & Neo-Orientalism
- Purva paksha and response to distortions of sacred texts/practices
- Mimamsa and Western philology
- Distortions of Vedanta, Yoga
- Vyakarana sastra and western linguistics