Unrelenting Attack(s) on Hinduism From Academia : An Example (Please Read)

[https://www.thehindu.com/society/how-the-ramayan-tv-show-helped-shape-a-singular-nationwide-hindu-identity/article69202807.ece](https://www.thehindu.com/society/how-the-ramayan-tv-show-helped-shape-a-singular-nationwide-hindu-identity/article69202807.ece) *"How the Ramayan TV show helped shape a singular nationwide Hindu identity"* The above is the title of an article published today in **The Hindu**. The article is actually a gist of a full fledged research paper published by the "**National Bureau of Economic Research**" one of the research wings of the **University of Cambridge**. But what's wrong with it? It's just a simple research paper, right?! **WRONG!** This is just ONE OF the many such academic papers that are used to malign Hindus and Hinduism as a whole, and demonize Hindu Nationalism. The paper goes on to thrash Ramanand Sagar Ji's rendition of *Ramayana*, accusing the TV series of: 1. Increasing Hindu-Muslim communal tensions 2. Sanskritization of "lower" castes 3. Shifting voter behaviour and supporting BJP 4. Reinforcing patriarchy (by reinforcing traditional gender norms) and many such things. If you actually go and read the whole paper you'll see the lengths these "academic" papers go to sound legit. It's absolutely insane! **For example, their logic to justify point 1, the Hindu-Muslim one, goes like this:** * Some areas have better reception * Better reception = People watching TV * People in these areas watch more TV * Watching TV = They MUST be watching *Ramayana,* duh (I'm not joking, they literally have assumed this) * Ramayana is making these people more communal * Hence, these "Ramayana watching areas" have higher instances of Hindu-Muslims clashes **Conclusion: Ramanand Sagar's Ramayana is exacerbating communal clashes** It is so mind-boggling to see these papers do all the mental gymnastics to malign Hindus, Hinduism and India as a whole. They took something as harmless as Ramanand Sagar's *Ramayana* and they somehow joined it with all the buzzwords that opponents of the Sanatana Dharma use to attack us. Buzzwords like "*Hindutva*", "*Lower Caste*", "*Patriarchy*", "*Hindu-Muslim Clashes*", "*Communal*" etc. What's even more disheartening is that so many names in that paper are actually Hindu. Being from **University of Cambridge**, I can only imagine the kind of funding these kinds of research get. And this is just ONE paper. Keep your eyes and ears open people. The attack is coming from all directions, no front is safe. It's high time we do our part to do the Dharmic thing and call out and defend against such attacks wherever we can, however we can. *Om Namah Shivaay*e