On the author of the manasataramgini blog
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Nityanand Misra
Jan 6, 2016, 2:53:06 AM1/6/16
to भारतीयविद्वत्परिषत्
Dear list members
As our dear friend Vishvas will not share (despite knowing) the identity of the author of the manasataramgini blog (or gospel?), let me make an attempt. All of the links below are accessed on this date (Jan 6 2016).
Multiple online message board posts, article comments and a Facebook post (examples here, here, here, and here) unambiguously identify the author of the manasataramgini blog as a person named L Aravind Iyer.
L Aravind Iyer's home page is here. On his official page, Aravind Iyer has a very interesting disclaimer which I swear I have never seen on the official page of an academic/researcher (for example see here):
“This is the official webpage of L. Aravind. Any other webpage, blog (other than one linked below), social networking page claiming to belong to or represent L. Aravind/Aravind L. Iyer or his views or opinions is either some other person or the work of imposters. L. Aravind is also not associated with any other email address than the one provided here.”
There is no blog linked below.
A Wikipedia article on him is here. The article is very short, all references are from his own home page (which corroborates my guess that the article is planted by a fan or well-wisher) and the article receives less than 3 hits per day on average as seen here (which is rather small for a ‘supratiṣṭhita’ scientist, but anyway). Four times in the history of the article, he has been identified as the author of the blogs manasataramgini, Hauma Hamiddha, and somasushma as attested by the diffs here, here, here, and here. All four times, the statement has been deleted by a user. The users inserting and deleting the statements have no major contributions to Wikipedia.
As per the online sources above and Wikipedia historical versions, Aravind Iyer also writes the blogs Hauma Hamiddha (here) and somasushma (archived from geocities here). The archived somasushma blog carries his name and has his photos here. The photos are of the same person as one who features on the Wikipedia article on Aravind L Iyer here.
On TheHeathenInHisBlindness webgroup, there is a person whose email name is somasushma and who signs as L Aravind with the link somasushma.wordpress.com (which is a private blog, maybe a newer version of the blog on oocities).
The description by Vishvas Vasuki matches the person. Vishvas Vasuki says भार्गवोऽसौ. On his archived geocities blog here, Aravind Iyer says "Whom do I descend from? From the redoubtable bhR^igu, atharvAn (paternally) ..."
It may also be pointed that L Aravind's beliefs and approach is not beyond question. His observations and approach have been challenged by Prof. S. N. Balagangadhar (Ghent University) on multiple ocassions, some of which are (copy-pasted from a message board) here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.
So it appears very likely that the anonmymous, [ocassionally] name-calling, know-all author of manasataramgini is Dr. L Aravind Iyer.
The million dollar question is why does a scholar need to be anonymous, disown all other blogs on his official homepage, create other anonymous blogs like Homa Hamiddha, and try to keep his identity a secret by deleting (or getting others to delete) references on Wikipedia?
The reason beats me, but this is intellectual dishonesty. Vishvas Vasuki, in my opinion, is wasting everybody's time by citing such dubious sources and lending them credibility.
Caveat lector.
Thanks, Nityanand
Ajit Gargeshwari
Jan 6, 2016, 4:57:51 AM1/6/16
to भारतीयविद्वत्परिषत्
This is the reason I suggested lets us not bring in needles controversies on BVP list. Please see the message in para two. Such controversies don't bring good to any one. They only leave us divided which is victory for the trouble makers. Probably Visvasji when he posted first did not understand but I did from the very beginning . I had even set guidelines for posting on AIT thread. Now its up to members to decide if discussions can be done in on this list in a dispassionate and impersonal manner. This is your list and almost all our members who themselves are top scholars can decide. If you want to discuss further please see the guidelines and reduce naming others and making attacks on individuals who may or may not be members of BVP. If it cannot be done lets close this thread and move on Thanks
This a message we received from highly reputed scholar who is not stranger to AIT controversy. "The following post should be summarily removed from the list. To pass judgement on the "intellectual honesty" of a person who is not a member and hence can not defend himself is cheap and unfair. It does not befit BVP to promote such statements.
This a message we received from highly reputed scholar who is not stranger to AIT controversy. "The following post should be summarily removed from the list. To pass judgement on the "intellectual honesty" of a person who is not a member and hence can not defend himself is cheap and unfair. It does not befit BVP to promote such statements.
with regards in the interest of the fair name of BVP"
Please post you replies on this note directly to the moderators and not to the list if you need any further clarifications
Other posts are welcome Thanks again. This is our list lets enjoy
Regards
Ajit Gargeshwari
न जायते म्रियते वा कदाचिन्नायं भूत्वा भविता वा न भूयः।
अजो नित्यः शाश्वतोऽयं पुराणो न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे।।2.20।।
Ajit Gargeshwari
न जायते म्रियते वा कदाचिन्नायं भूत्वा भविता वा न भूयः।
अजो नित्यः शाश्वतोऽयं पुराणो न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे।।2.20।।
--
निराशीर्निर्ममो भूत्वा युध्यस्व विगतज्वरः।। (भ.गी.)
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Ajit Gargeshwari
Jan 6, 2016, 5:24:57 AM1/6/16
to भारतीयविद्वत्परिषत्
I found this on website May be relevant if not please ignore
Quotes on scholarship that illustrate Academic approach, selected by a student and web page designer (see below) from an interview in the book Mastery: Interviews with 30 Remarkable People by Joan Evelyn Ames.
"An effective scholar needs three things: learning, the ability to see connections and, above all, [an] intellectual ability to distinguish."
"The first rule of work must be readiness to examine your positions and to modify or abandon them without delay or embarrassment as soon as you know they are inadequate."
"Intellect is the ability to see what the crucial issues are, to ask the right questions and then to understand the implications of the evidence."
"Your perspective on a question must always be enriched by new questions, new evidence, and a growing knowledge of the wider context of the events or thoughts that concern you."
"The understanding of Indian Culture can only aspire to objectivity if it includes a sincere effort to see how things are in the subjective perception of Indians. One has to be able to enter into the spirit of our world, to be with them intimately, to see what they are saying and why they are saying it, to go beneath the surface of their texts. There has to be empathy."
Quotes on scholarship that illustrate Academic approach, selected by a student and web page designer (see below) from an interview in the book Mastery: Interviews with 30 Remarkable People by Joan Evelyn Ames.
"An effective scholar needs three things: learning, the ability to see connections and, above all, [an] intellectual ability to distinguish."
"The first rule of work must be readiness to examine your positions and to modify or abandon them without delay or embarrassment as soon as you know they are inadequate."
"Intellect is the ability to see what the crucial issues are, to ask the right questions and then to understand the implications of the evidence."
"Your perspective on a question must always be enriched by new questions, new evidence, and a growing knowledge of the wider context of the events or thoughts that concern you."
"The understanding of Indian Culture can only aspire to objectivity if it includes a sincere effort to see how things are in the subjective perception of Indians. One has to be able to enter into the spirit of our world, to be with them intimately, to see what they are saying and why they are saying it, to go beneath the surface of their texts. There has to be empathy."
Regards
Ajit Gargeshwari
न जायते म्रियते वा कदाचिन्नायं भूत्वा भविता वा न भूयः।
अजो नित्यः शाश्वतोऽयं पुराणो न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे।।2.20।।
Ajit Gargeshwari
न जायते म्रियते वा कदाचिन्नायं भूत्वा भविता वा न भूयः।
अजो नित्यः शाश्वतोऽयं पुराणो न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे।।2.20।।
Bijoy Misra
Jan 6, 2016, 5:36:05 AM1/6/16
to Bharatiya Vidvat parishad
The tenor of this thread has been unfortunately charged because of the original anonymity.
We should request all to refrain from anonymous postings and we should learn to ignoreNityanand Misra
Jan 6, 2016, 6:35:52 AM1/6/16
to भारतीयविद्वत्परिषत्, Me
Dear list members,
Please take my statement as an allegation, I am not passing a judgement. I am happy if the allegation is contradicted, challenged, and criticized. I am even willing to change my position if I am proved to be wrong or convinced otherwise.
But I do not understand the request to censor or delete messages, for I do not think questioning the reliability of a source and journalistic/intellectual integrity of a writer who is not a member of BVP is against the group policy. If it is against the rules of the forum, then I am sorry for violating the rules of the group and my message and the thread may be deleted.
Questioning the integrity of a source not on the group is not new to this forum or other lists. Some examples:
- On August 3 2015 in this post I accused the journalist Salma Mahmud (not a member of this forum) of plagiarism (lifting portions) in her article on Panini from Wikipedia.
- On August 22 2015 in this post I accused, in an indirect way, the journalist Sidin Vadikut (not a member of this forum) of shoddy journalism (not cross-checking facts and taking Wikipedia for granted).
- On the Indology list in the month of July 2015, Rajiv Malhotra (not a member of Indology list) was accused of, and even pronounced guilty of, plagiarism. There were mails against him and in his support, but I don't remember anybody asking to censor the accusations of plagiarism just because Malhotra was not a member of the group.
Thanks, Nityanand
Ajit Gargeshwari
Jan 6, 2016, 6:45:04 AM1/6/16
to भारतीयविद्वत्परिषत्
All messages of scholars will be posted There will be no censorship on scholars. We ourselves fight against censorship and hence we should not be doing it ourselves. Since the private mail came from a reputed scholars. I thought I should covey his views. Please continue the discussions I have no problems Lets keep the tenor and spirit as suggested by members Thank you
Regards
Ajit Gargeshwari
न जायते म्रियते वा कदाचिन्नायं भूत्वा भविता वा न भूयः।
अजो नित्यः शाश्वतोऽयं पुराणो न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे।।2.20।।
Ajit Gargeshwari
न जायते म्रियते वा कदाचिन्नायं भूत्वा भविता वा न भूयः।
अजो नित्यः शाश्वतोऽयं पुराणो न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे।।2.20।।
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