Dossier on Witzel

Thus Spake Professor Michael Witzel
A Harvard University Case Study in Prejudice?

We all generalize about people, about groups, about ideologies and so on in our lives. But when this generalization is judgmental, when it is not based on the complete set of evidence available to us and when we are unwilling to consider new or contrary data to revise our judgment, this generalization becomes a stereotype . A stereotype is a highly exaggerated negative view of the reality. It is especially resorted to by people who are quick to condemn people different from themselves, or in other words, by people who are themselves intolerant. Prejudice is rarely expressed explicitly. It is more often demonstrated through creation of stereotypes, through the creation of a hated or a disliked ‘other’, through an excessive and obsessive focus on the negatives of this ‘other’, through half-truths, repeated and deliberate misrepresentation and so on. Ethnocentrism is a form of prejudice involving the belief that one’s own group’s values, practices or behavior are the best whereas those of the ‘other’ groups are inferior. Racism is another dangerous variety of prejudice involving the belief that a perceived ‘racial difference is sufficient to value one person less than another’.

The reader should keep these definitions in mind constantly, while reading the text below, and judge for himself whether the activities and conduct of Professor Witzel could be termed a manifestation of prejudice in its various varieties.

It is unfortunate that Dr. Witzel, a tenured professor at the Harvard University, publicly engages in highly reprehensible activities. Below is a brief account of his statements appearing on internet forums and in print with a few illustrative examples each but many more can be given. Except for one example, we have not quoted his damning prolific posts left in secretive lists of Indologists not open to public, nor have we quoted his emails sent to individuals or to groups . After all, Professor Witzel is entitled to the privacy of his personal views, no matter how obnoxious these views are.

A brief account of his statements appearing on internet forums and in print with a few illustrative examples from A Dossier on Witzel.

Extract of the contents:

2.0 Statements stereotyping Indian Americans……
2.1: Indian Americans are ‘lost’ and ‘abandoned’
2.2: Indian American scholars are all chauvinists
2.3: Indian/Hindu American groups are Hindu fundamentalists
2.4 Rudeness towards Indian Americans and Indians

3.0 Statements Stereotyping scholarship in India and Indians in general……
3.1 Direct attacks by Witzel-
3.2 ‘Indians are uncomfortable changing their opinions’
3.3 Defending other racists and ethnocentrics
34 Indians and dogs are not allowed

4.0 Statements lampooning scholars with different opinions……
4.1 Loutish and unscholarly behavior in academic journals-
4.2 Slander in his own cottage journals (co-edited by other Witzel Petition signatories)
4.3 Commissioner Metzenberg is a ‘budding politician’

5.0 Statements making personal attacks on other individuals……
5.1 Slander on public lists
5.2 Slander on secretive Indology lists
5.3 Labelling dissenting scholars
5.4 Persecution complex/mania of Prof. Witzel? Offense is the best defense!

6.0 Indology’s Creationism: The Intelligent Design of the master Aryan race:……
6.1 The genetic clones of Aryan Invasion Theory
6.2 Aryan Panzers launch a Blitzkrieg into India
6.3 Indian natives appropriate Aryanism
6.4 You’ve got the ‘Aryan’ look
6.5 ‘Anti-Aryanism is a Hindu Conspiracy’
6.6 Inventing evidence for Aryan invasions
6.7 Bluffs as evidence for Aryan invasion
6.8 Aryan Templar knights hunt for the pure Aryan gene

7.0 What would Witzel Do? (WWWD)- A Satire….
7.1 Witzel as a supporter of Pan-German ideology
7.2 An apologist for absconding Nazi war criminals?
7.3 Quoting Nazi Indologists
7.4 Proud descendant of Martin Luther, the first Nazi?

8.0 Academic or Politician? Witzel’s links with Indian Communists……
8.1 Writing for a multi-millionaire Marxist
8.2 Defending Indian Marxist historians
8.3 Attack critics of Indian Marxist historians
8.4 Collaborate with Yankee Comrades and Indian communists
8.5 Idolizing Karl Marx
8.6 A comrade in arms?

9.0 Trivialization of the heritage of Hindus and Indians……
9.1 Example of denigration of Hindu texts
9.2 India is just a cultural ‘cul-de-sac’ of Asia
9.3 Modern Indian languages are not scholarly
9.4 Obsession with negative interpretations of Hindu heritage