Colonial Discourse and the Suffering of Indian American Children Book Cover.webp

In this book, we analyze the psycho-social consequences faced by Indian American children after exposure to the school textbook discourse on Hinduism and ancient India. We demonstrate that there is an intimate connection—an almost exact correspondence—between James Mill’s colonial-racist discourse (Mill was the head of the British East India Company) and the current school textbook discourse. This racist discourse, camouflaged under the cover of political correctness, produces the same psychological impacts on Indian American children that racism typically causes: shame, inferiority, embarrassment, identity confusion, assimilation, and a phenomenon akin to racelessness, where children dissociate from the traditions and culture of their ancestors.


This book is the result of four years of rigorous research and academic peer-review, reflecting our ongoing commitment at Hindupedia to challenge the representation of Hindu Dharma within academia.

Ideals and Values/References & Bibliography

From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia


References & Bibliography:[edit]

In addition to numerous original Hindu scriptures, their translations and numerous websites (that are not being listed here), the following secondary works were consulted in the main. The list is not necessarily complete. Any omissions may kindly be pointed out to vishalsagarwal@yahoo.com for future corrections.


Āchārya, Shriram Sharma.1971. Sevā  Saujanyatā ke Sandesh Vāhak (in Hindi). Yug-Nirmāṇ-Yojanā: Mathura

(Mahatma) Anand Swami. 1978. Bodha-Kathayein (in Hindi). Govindram Hasanand: Delhi

Borkakoti, Sanjib. 1995. Sri Sri Sankardeva, a Total Personality. Bani Mandir (Guwahati).

Bose, A. C. 1988. The Call of the Vedas. Bharatiya Vidya Bhawan: Mumbai

Chaitanya, Devendra and Chakra, Sudarshan Singh. 2013. Drishtaanta Mahaasaagar. Randhir Prakashan: Haridwar (in Hindi)

Compassion, the Manamam Series. 2007. Chinmaya Mission West. Piercy, California

Butani. D H. 1986. The Incredible Bhagat Wadhuram, Saint of Sind. Promilla & Co. Publishers (New Delhi)

Dange, Sadashiv Ambadas. 2002. Myths from the Mahabharata (vol 3). Aryan Books International: New Delhi

Dave, Ramesh M. 1999. Sahajananda Charitra. Swaminarayan Aksharpith: Ahmadabad.

Diwakar, R R. 1950. Upanishads in Story and Dialogue. Hind Kitabs Ltd.:Bombay

Glener, Doug and Komaragiri, Sarat. 2002. Wisdom’s Blossoms – Tales of the Saints of India. Shambhala: Boston

Good Habits & Bad Habits (Pictorial Guide on Moral Values for Children), 1st edition (April 2011), Swaminarayan Aksharpith, Ahmedabad (India)

Hindu Culture. Grade 9 Bala Vihar Teachers’ Handbook. 2011. Chinmaya Mission West. Piercy (California)

Jayasree, S. (Ed.). 1984. Nitidvisastika of Sundarapandya. The Adyar Library Series- No. 113. Madras

Krishnamani, M N. 1998. Godly Men and their Golden Words. Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan

Life is a Gift, Living is an Art. Chinmaya Mission West (Piercy, California), 2009

Murti, G V Narayan.1974. Narayana Guru. Rashtrotthana Sahitya Trust: Bangalore

Pandit Ram Sharma Acharya. 2006. Pragya Tales for Children, Part 2. Shri Vedmata Gayatri Trust: Hardwar

Pandit Satyakam Vidyalankar. 1983. The Holy Vedas. Clarion Books: New Delhi

Pathak, Raghunath Prasad. 1973. Teachings of Swami Dayanand. Vishveshvaranand Institute: Hoshiarpur (India)

Pattanaik, Devdutt. 2006. Shiva to Shankara. Indus Source Books: Mumbai

Poddar, Hanuman Das. Kalyan, Baalak Visheshaank. Geeta Press: Gorakhpur

Pravrajika Shuddhatmamata. 2003. The Divine World of the Alvars. The Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture: Kolkata

Pravrajika Suddhatmaprana. 2009. Indian Saints and Mystics. Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture. Kolkata

Purnavidya Vedic Heritage Teaching Program, Vol VI (Values), published by Arshavidya Gurukulam

Puttige, Rasika. 1996. M S Golwalkar (Book No. R-99). Rashtrotthana Sahitya Trust: Bangalore

Rao, V. N. Hari. History of the Srirangam Temple. Sri Venkareswara University. Tirupati; 1976

Ramani, S. 2004. Great Women of India, vols. 1-5. Sri Ramakrishna Math: Chennai

Ray, Irene and Mallika Clare Gupta. 1975. Tales from Ramakrishna. Advaita Ashrama: Kolkata

Rajee Raman. For the Love of Krishna and other Stories of Devotees. Seasons Publishing: Chennai (India)

(Sant) Rajinder Singh. 2006. Spiritual Pearls for Enlightened Living. Radiance Publishers. Naperville (Illinois)

Rani, Rakesh. 1983. Swami Dayanand Saraswati – Jeevan Charitra, Siddhanta, Shraddhanjaliyan (in Hindi). Dayanand Sansthan: New Delhi

Rosen, Steven. 1988. The Life and Times of Lord Chaitanya. Folk Books: Brooklyn (New York)

Sadhu Aksharajivanadas. 2010. Hum Pehachaanein (vols 1-6, in Hindi). Swaminarayan Aksharapith. Ahmedabad (India)

Sadhu Mukundacharanadas. 2005. Rishis, Mystics and Heroes of India, vol I. Swaminarayan Aksharpith: Ahmedabad.

Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami. 2013. A Workbook on Character Building. Himalayan Academy (Hawaii)

Shri Sathya Sai Bal Vikas Guru Hand Book Group I (for second and third year). Nov 1993. Sri Sathya Sai Balvikas Magazine Sai Darshan: Bombay

Swami Adidevananda. 1978. Yatindramatadipika of Srinvasadasa. Ramakrishna Math: Mylapore(Madras)

Swami Akhandanand Saraswati. 1963. Samkhyayoga (in Hindi). Satsahitya Prakashan Trust. Bombay (India)

Swami Akhandananda Saraswati. 1966. Narada Bhakti Darshana (in Hindi). Satsahitya Prakashan (Bombay)

Swami Akhandanand Saraswati. 1970. Karmayoga (in Hindi). Satsahitya Prakashan Trust. Bombay (India)

Swami Ishatmananda. 2011. Tales from Vivekananda. Advaita Ashrama: Kolkata

Swami Jyotirmayananda. 1976. Yoga Stories and Parables. Published by Swami Lalitananda: Miami (USA)

Swami Sambuddhananda. 2006 (1950). Vedanta Through Stories. Ramakrishna Math: Mumbai

Swami Sivananda. 2004. Parables of Swami Sivananda. The Divine Life Society. Tehri-Garhwal (Uttaranchal), India

Swami Sivananda Saraswati. 2000. Santa-Charitra (in Hindi). Divine Life Society Publication: Rishikesh (India)

Swami Sivananda in “About Fear,” pages 4-7 in Fear, Face It. 2006 Chinmaya Mission West. Piercy (California)

Swami Srikantananda. Gita Darshanam. 2008. Vivekananda Insitute of Human Excellence. Ramakrishna Math, Hyderabad (India)

Swami Tejomayananda. 2001. Vision of the Bhagavad Gita. Central Chinmaya Mission Trust: Mumbai Tales and Parables of Sri Ramakrishna. Sri Ramakrishna Math. Mylapore: Madras

The Sages Speak About Life & Death. 1995. Chinmaya Mission West. Piercy (California)

Trivedi, Krishnaji. 1971. Mahatmas Saints Sages and Seers of India and Abroad. Shivaji News Printers: Tiruchi

Values in the Bhagavad Gita. Children’s Manual and Teacher’s Manual. Chinmaya Mission West Publications. Langhorne (Pennsylvania)

Vedanta: Swami Chinmayananda – His Words, His Legacy, Chinmaya Mission West. Piercy, California (2011).

Vijayam, Ramakrishna et al. 2011. Stories of the Devotees of Lord Shiva. Sri Ramakrishna Math. Mylapore (Chennai)

_____. Pictorial Stories for Children, vols. 1-25. Sri Ramakrishna Math. Mylapore (Chennai)

Zevah, Aaron. 1998. The Soul’s Alamanac. Penguin Putnam Inc.: New York


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