Wednesday, May 19, 2004
Metaphysical boas, economists etc
The drama in India has finally wound down. Sonia Gandhi has won an incredible moral victory, which has stunned her detractors into silence by stepping away from power (ensuring thereby the political future of her children). India has emerged as the winner with Dr. Manmohan Singh emerging as Prime Minister. A Manmohan Singh/P.Chidambaram team is the closest India will have to a political dream team. In effect, India now has a rocket scientist as president and an economist as prime minister. But more importantly, as Amy Waldman points out...
For India, his swearing-in will be historic, and not just because of the extraordinary political drama of the last week. A Sikh, Mr. Singh will be India's first non-Hindu prime minister. In a milestone that says much about this vast nation's diversity and capacity for co-existence, Mrs. Gandhi, an Italian-born woman raised a Roman Catholic, is making way for a Sikh prime minister who will be sworn in by a Muslim president, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.
It is precisely this inclusiveness, tolerance and syncretism of Indian civilization that I believe is an example for the rest of the world (especially in these troubled times), and worth defending. In this context, an Octavio Paz quote Sanjay sent my way about Hinduism is worth sharing --
Like an enormous metaphysical boa, Hinduism slowly and relentlessly digests foreign cultures, Gods, languages, and beliefs.
Appropriate and assimilate, rather than convert!
For India, his swearing-in will be historic, and not just because of the extraordinary political drama of the last week. A Sikh, Mr. Singh will be India's first non-Hindu prime minister. In a milestone that says much about this vast nation's diversity and capacity for co-existence, Mrs. Gandhi, an Italian-born woman raised a Roman Catholic, is making way for a Sikh prime minister who will be sworn in by a Muslim president, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.
It is precisely this inclusiveness, tolerance and syncretism of Indian civilization that I believe is an example for the rest of the world (especially in these troubled times), and worth defending. In this context, an Octavio Paz quote Sanjay sent my way about Hinduism is worth sharing --
Like an enormous metaphysical boa, Hinduism slowly and relentlessly digests foreign cultures, Gods, languages, and beliefs.
Appropriate and assimilate, rather than convert!
