Definitions

Culture
Culture, Indian culture, 'Bharatiya culture' rank among the most misused terms today. Almost everything is opposed today because it is against 'Indian culture'. Every liberal columnist and every Shiv Sainik seems to be the champion of Indian Culture.


Tradition
Tradition, as a shield against modernity, is increasingly becoming a weapon in the hands of the pro-backwardness, pro-tradition people and across intellectually heterogenous groups.


Religion
Hinduism, Hindutva, Hindus are all interchangeable terms for parties like the BJP. An understanding of religion as a controlling element of people's lives in India can be reached only after we are clear about the definition of religion


Technology
The attack on Kentucky Fried Chicken, on Monsanto are recent events of a particularly evil nature; we do not need them in our country. The protests against the Enron Power Project (Bombay), the Conjentrix Power Project (Karnataka) also belong to that category. All of them have on thing in common, opposition to a new technology. How do we fight them?


Society
A very Indian term, abused to any end by any group or organization. Their common refrain-"good of the society", "against accepted norms of society", "...is against social ethos" and other such terms.


Secularism
Here is a nice example of a term which has a clear defined meaning, but has been 'interpreted' in countless ways by the BJP.


Environment
The meaning and implications of this are crucially important today. As of now, it can be conceded that the environmentalists have a upper hand. What lies at the root of an environmentalist's contentions