While modern (dumb downed) discourse on social media is sitting on Mount Stupid with a feeling of pride to have (un)successfully managed to preach on a trendy background music, the difference between Dharma and Religion, any sound reader and seeker of truth will be left unsatisfied.
Enters Ashish Dhar, a Mechanical Engineer turned Social Entrepreneur who has the genuine ability to meld Dharmic discourse with modern challenges. Ashish co-founded Pragyata and Upword Foundation and is the Director of Operations at The Indic Collective Trust. His dedicated essays at Pragyata primarily focus on clarifying the misunderstood aspects of Sanatan Dharma, essentially dissecting the imposed ‘ism’ of Hinduism. Through his writings, Dhar often explores the deep interconnections between Dharmic values and environmental concerns, even going on to take a borderline liberal stance suggesting ecology must supersede ‘religious’ activities and coming back as a true ambassador of Dharma by making us understand that Dharma itself is ecology, something that sustains. His pieces are a must-read for contemporary Hindus.
Ashish critiques the modern disjunctions imposed between ecology and faith, much like the divisive strategies of the historical colonisers of India. He believes that recognising the intrinsic connection between worship and nature, rites and their meaning, is crucial. A Kashmiri Pandit himself, Dhar understands the vein of the Kashmir problem through his own experience of living and later being exiled from Kashmir. In essence, he champions a return to this integrated understanding of Dharma as a means to sustain both faith and the world around us. Thus, Ashish Dhar is one of the few taking the trouble to regress to Mount Stupid and give a gentle push forward to anyone who truly yearns to understand Dharma.
Catch the conversation we had with Ashish Dhar in this space on topics ranging from the construct of Jati to the communal and political nature of Kashmir. Happy watching.
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