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Holy science : the biopolitics of Hindu nationalism / Banu Subramaniam

By: Material type: TextTextPublication details: India Orient BlackSwan 2019Description: 290 pISBN:
  • 9789352876518
Subject(s): DDC classification:
  • 320.540954 SUB-B
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Holdings
Item type Current library Collection Shelving location Call number Status Date due Barcode Item holds
Books Books BITS Pilani Hyderabad 320 General Stack (For lending) 320.540954 SUB-B (Browse shelf(Opens below)) Available 39470
Total holds: 0

Behind the euphoric narrative of India as an emerging world power lies a fascinating but untold story of an evolving relationship between Science and religion. Evoking the rich mythology of comingled worlds, where humans, animals, and gods transform each other and ancient history, Bana Subramanian demonstrates how Hindu nationalism weaves an ideal past into technologies of the present to imagine a future nation that is modern and “Hindu.” as in many parts of the world, India is witnessing a hypernationalism on multiple fronts. Through five illustrative cases involving biological claims, Subramanian explores an emerging nationalism. The cases are varied, spanning the revival of Vaastu Shastra, the codification of “unnatural” sex in IPC section 377 (which the Indian Supreme Court recently struck down), the unfolding debates around the veracity of Hanuman and Rama Setu, debates on the geographic origins of Indians through genomic evidence, the revival of traditional systems of Indian medicine through genomics and pharmaceuticals, the growth of and subsequent ban on gestational surrogacy, and the rise of old Vedic gestational sciences. Moving beyond a critique of India’s emerging bio-nationalism, holy Science explores generative possibilities that the rich traditions of South Asian storytelling practices offer us. This book will be of interest to scholars of Science and Technology Studies, history of science, gender studies, sexuality studies and cultural studies.

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