Understanding Dharma
That Hinduism is grossly misunderstood in the West (which still wield a lot of influence and power in India) is an understatement. Given that a significant percentage of the population in India practice some form of Hinduism, this often leads to controversies and skirmishes that captures and polarizes popular opinion. The most recent episode is the recent controversy around a ban on cow slaughter and consumption of beef in several parts of the country. This post is not about the particularities of the above controversy -- it is about how the controversy is understood and interpreted in the two different parts of the world. I remember several years ago in Europe, when someone asked me to explain "Manu Smriti," I asked him, "What is Manu Smriti"? I was not in denial; I had never really heard of it till then. Neither had I heard of Paneer Tikka Masala, which according to them was our favourite food. After listening to my story of how we practiced Hinduism in o...