Source: TW
While I’m not a social person, over the years, I’ve a noticed a continuing interest in certain western circles which comes in different (sometimes non-interacting flavors):
- There is a large contingent seeking “meaning in life” via making sense of the subjective realm. Most of them try to explore it via the American state religion of Judeo-Christanity but often find it falling short. Some of that type discovers Indian religious streams and gets interested.
- There are academic white indologists who might be interested in anthropology, linguistics, philology and (pre)history. Some of them may begin as #1.
- There are industrial and political types which see an opportunity in making a profit or playing 0-sum games for Occidental foreign policy. They get interested in contemporary India without much of an understanding of its religious traditions.
Many of these begin positive
but turn negative as they mature –
a part of this phenomenon of the malhotran U-turn
which is facilitated by a frustration with “the other”
that develops over time
along with rediscovery of their undercurrent (even if secularized) Judeo-Christianity.
But a part of it is indeed,
as suggested below from unnecessary conflicts picked up on the Indian side:
Witzel was originally favorable to H and v1s among them;
however, due to conflicts initiated against him, he turned against them.
I ran into a woman indologist, who by her own account was excited about Skt, H texts and religion was full of enthusiasm to visit India. Unfortunately, parts of India can be difficult even for Indians, and she received a lot of unwanted male attention – mobbing, guys taking selfies etc.
So I was not surprised that the visit to the actual modern India acted as a filter
accentuating the negative Indological tropes
that she then whole heartedly adopted.
She found them suddenly giving her more acceptance in western circles
than being sympathetic to H.
Hence, I do think we need to do a better job doing marketing or identifying sympathetic individuals and cultivating them.