Query on scope & membership

[Michael Witzel]

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VYAKARAN: South Asian Languages and Linguistics Net
Editors:  Tej K. Bhatia, Syracuse University, New York
          John Peterson, University of Munich, Germany
Details:  Send email to listserv at listserv.syr.edu and say INFO VYAKARAN
Archives: http://listserv.syr.edu
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Dear Members,
Fist of all congratulations to John Peterson (Munich) and   Tej Bhatia
(Syracuse) for sucessfully re-constituting the list.

Many of us have been dissatisfied with the type of discussion we seen in
the by now almost 10 years old INDOLOGY list: too much casteism,
nationalism,  Aryan/Dravidian=North/South problems, simple traditionalism,
-- and certainly too much useless input by 1st generation immigrant
computer engeneers, etc. who do not know a thing about linguistics,
philology etc.

So why not shift *that* part of our discussions to VYAKARAN?

If the listowners agree to widen the field form pure grammar and
linguistics to Philology in general, understood as "the study of
Indo-Iranian,South Asian civilizations based on their texts."

We could still send a copy to INDOLOGY. But have our discussions here,
without undue interference. That would require, of course, some
restrictions on membership of this list:
Such as (graduate) students or professors of linguistics, philology, allied
subjects (archaeology, genetics etc.)

So what do the listowneres think?

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I reprint just one such complaint recently seen on Indology:

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X-Sender: thompson at mailhost.jlc.net
Mime-Version: 1.0
Date:         Fri, 28 May 1999 22:43:00 -0400
Reply-To: Indology <INDOLOGY at LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK>
Sender: Indology <INDOLOGY at LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK>
From: George Thompson <thompson at JLC.NET>
Subject:      Request for info
To: INDOLOGY at LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK
Status:

Dear Indology List Members,

As a sincere student of Old Indo-Iranian literature, I am seeking an e-mail
list devoted to the dispassionate scholarly [that is, philological] study
of Old Indo-Iranian texts like the Vedic Rgveda and the Avestan Gathas.

I know that this sort of thing is not appropriate on your list, devoted as
it is to partisan personal attacks, but since it is *fairly close* to your
stated interests, I thought that some of you might be aware of *other*
lists where people like myself might find informed discussion of relevant
matters.

I'd be grateful for any and all recommendations,

Sincerely,

George Thompson



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Michael Witzel                          Elect. Journ. of Vedic Studies
Harvard University                  www1.shore.net/~india/ejvs
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my direct line (also for messages) :  617- 496 2990
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