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Make Dharma Great Again

Being Different:  An Indian Challenge to Western Universalism by rajiv malhotra  harpercollins, 488 pages, $26.99 Following the Brexit referendum, The Economist wrote, “Farewell, left versus right. The contest that matters now is open against closed.” Rajiv . . . . Continue Reading »

Yoga at the University

Earlier this month, controversy broke out when a Canadian university canceled a beginners’ yoga class it had offered for years. The reason for the class cancellation at the University of Ottawa is a bit murky, but a student government representative evidently told the instructor that the class . . . . Continue Reading »

Hindu Nationalism, Indian Democracy

India’s post-independence generation of leaders sought to keep religion at arm’s length from politics, regarding religion as a disruptive force. It was, after all, conflict between Hindus and Muslims that had led to massive violence and to the partition of India. These leaders wanted . . . . Continue Reading »

Salman Rushdie Gets Religion

The protagonist of No Longer At Ease by the Nigerian novelist Chinua Achebe is a young man named Obi Okonkwo who has recently returned to Nigeria after taking a degree in English literature at Oxford University. Obi’s interview for a civil service position turns into a discussion about . . . . Continue Reading »

At the Taj Mahal In Atlantic City

As I was splitting a pair of queens to double my sawbuck bet, someone said “He’s here,” and here he was—four bodyguards to part the waves, a blonde bimbo on each arm with whom to swim. I swiveled in my chair to greet him, held out my hand—brushed back by one of his goons. . . . . Continue Reading »

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