Day2: While I could not sleep well, thanks to Professor I was sharing the room with, and who does'nt know he snores, (and I hope he doesn't read this), the plenary session in the morning was surely very rewarding. Wonderful presentations by Prof Bhudev Sharma (founder president WAVES) and Prof C K Raju (Center fro Studies in Civilization, Delhi). Simply marvelous. Sharmaji quoting from the veda-s demonstrated many things including the concepts of numbers and number series and so on. Very interesting. Raju on his part, while maintaining that the "vedic mathematics" is a hoax, still demonstrated how Indian trigonometry is far superior to the European one which is taught these days in school. With a surgical analysis, he also showed many things which are wrong and can be easily corrected about the Indian education. Prof. ML Goel of International Studies, quite in the line of SR Goel (not related), presented a comparision of many aspects Jehad in Africa, Europe and India in medieval times, and how Hindu revival is unique.
So moved was elderly Prof Shivaji Singh chairing the session, that speaking with almost tears in his eyes, he jubilantly concluded that if Indian academia is producing such professors, then he was sure Witsel-Thapar's was the last generation of Hindu-hater academics worth the name, and that he was satisfied by the quality of young talents that is taking up the task of historiography, inheriting it from his own generation. He also laid stress upon the need for Indian talents from diverse fields to take growing interest with history, and said this is what would make a world of difference in the current struggle with the "motivated" history writing. He also said that events such as ICIH2009 are important in this regard, as they not only allow alternative platforms for such a collaboration, but a friendly environment to such talents.
Thanks to the friendly rUsI-Indologist and the learned nepAlI kAyastha scholar, both my temporary neighbours, insisting that I should sit through their lectures, I had to miss the great round table discussion on the 'New Indic Leadership - How?' which Elst and Kaushal and others led, and I was later told was a superb one. But anyways this one was great too. nepAlI scholar presented a paper which traced that how after the fall of bengal, sena rulers moved to himalayas and especially himachal, kumayun and nepal, and continued for several centuries later. I have to say that rUsI friend's paper was a disappointment to me, he spoke on the same age old Arya and Ethnos and Bible and so on... unfortunately (for him) the moderator was none other than Professor Bhagwan Singh, a very erudite scholar of R^igveda. Quoting from his memory with very precise pronunciation, from the fisrt veda, Professor quietened the rUsI friend. But at this point Shivaji Singh came to somewhat the rescue of his, and discussion turned to a dbate between the two elderly professors on some finer points...
Day3: Conference succesfully concluded.
Dr. Subramanian Swmay chaired the valedictory session, and spoke about Rama Setu, specially mentioning the half-truths and falses related to padma-purANa paraded in supreme court by GoI and how with help of scholars GoI was caught red-faced, an event that started their retreat in the court.
In his Vote of Thanks, Dr. Vepa thanked, besides others, India-Forum for conf success, and asked attendees to "give a big hand to", <b>particularly naming, Mudy, Viren, Rhytha, and Hauma Hamiddha</b> (in that sequence <!--emo&
--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo--> ).
(Meanwhile at least 2 speakers jubilantly quoted the shloka of vasudhaiva kuTumbakam of course not knowing where it came from. When I pointed the reality out, this professor got very angry, and lectured me upon the proper manners and right language. ("perversion of the real mening", the term I used, was objectionable to him). Other speaker, a respected security analyst happily took my input and was pleasantly surprised and expressed "relief" knowing the reality.)
Dainik Jagran jurnos were seen very active and covered the event well.
So moved was elderly Prof Shivaji Singh chairing the session, that speaking with almost tears in his eyes, he jubilantly concluded that if Indian academia is producing such professors, then he was sure Witsel-Thapar's was the last generation of Hindu-hater academics worth the name, and that he was satisfied by the quality of young talents that is taking up the task of historiography, inheriting it from his own generation. He also laid stress upon the need for Indian talents from diverse fields to take growing interest with history, and said this is what would make a world of difference in the current struggle with the "motivated" history writing. He also said that events such as ICIH2009 are important in this regard, as they not only allow alternative platforms for such a collaboration, but a friendly environment to such talents.
Thanks to the friendly rUsI-Indologist and the learned nepAlI kAyastha scholar, both my temporary neighbours, insisting that I should sit through their lectures, I had to miss the great round table discussion on the 'New Indic Leadership - How?' which Elst and Kaushal and others led, and I was later told was a superb one. But anyways this one was great too. nepAlI scholar presented a paper which traced that how after the fall of bengal, sena rulers moved to himalayas and especially himachal, kumayun and nepal, and continued for several centuries later. I have to say that rUsI friend's paper was a disappointment to me, he spoke on the same age old Arya and Ethnos and Bible and so on... unfortunately (for him) the moderator was none other than Professor Bhagwan Singh, a very erudite scholar of R^igveda. Quoting from his memory with very precise pronunciation, from the fisrt veda, Professor quietened the rUsI friend. But at this point Shivaji Singh came to somewhat the rescue of his, and discussion turned to a dbate between the two elderly professors on some finer points...
Day3: Conference succesfully concluded.
Dr. Subramanian Swmay chaired the valedictory session, and spoke about Rama Setu, specially mentioning the half-truths and falses related to padma-purANa paraded in supreme court by GoI and how with help of scholars GoI was caught red-faced, an event that started their retreat in the court.
In his Vote of Thanks, Dr. Vepa thanked, besides others, India-Forum for conf success, and asked attendees to "give a big hand to", <b>particularly naming, Mudy, Viren, Rhytha, and Hauma Hamiddha</b> (in that sequence <!--emo&
--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo--> ).(Meanwhile at least 2 speakers jubilantly quoted the shloka of vasudhaiva kuTumbakam of course not knowing where it came from. When I pointed the reality out, this professor got very angry, and lectured me upon the proper manners and right language. ("perversion of the real mening", the term I used, was objectionable to him). Other speaker, a respected security analyst happily took my input and was pleasantly surprised and expressed "relief" knowing the reality.)
Dainik Jagran jurnos were seen very active and covered the event well.