Professor JPS Uberoi’s legacy will certainly live on through his many profound and difficult books. It’s a gift he left behind for people who didn’t know him personally. But those who did so received something more precious. These are valuable sayings that he casually sprinkles in casual conversations, and are not printed in print.
There are a number of Jit Uberoi sayings that I have collected over the years while drinking dark brown liquid in the coffee house of the Delhi School of Economics. I’ll tell you a few things here to make you realize how rewarding it was to be with him. His writings will go down in history, but his sayings have a special quality that can be called his “legacy.”
When you spend time with Jit, you come away feeling enlightened, but you don’t really know why. Going out just for a chat and coming back with intellectual property is a rare experience for anyone. Although he was very engaging with his friends outside of the classroom, he could be a formidable taskmaster as a teacher. I’ve seen both sides of the person.
What is remarkable about his sayings is that they are all deeply intellectual, yet casually spoken. It is immediately clear that all of them are amazing in their theoretical insights. This is like a lightning bolt that blinds a person, and the lesson gradually echoes as the words begin to sink in.
Proverb 1: Regarding the sociology of religion, here is a gem from Gitt. “There is nothing that two Hindus can do that one Hindu cannot do.” This is because, unlike the Abrahamic religions, in Hinduism, “moksha” is obtained through inner correction. , quickly brings home the fact that we don’t actually need a congregation. This is true for other Indian religions, but not for Sikhism, which is centered around a “sanghat.”
Proverb 2: Those who value English education in India should ponder on this Jit proverb. “The basis of English education in Britain is to teach in the mother tongue.” This will sadden the snobs who were not actually taught English in the English secondary schools they attended in India. Such observations not only challenge past prejudices but also influence policy.
Proverb 3: It’s common for educators to be jealous of the higher salaries of people in the corporate sector. Another her Jit gem should help correct this perception. For Jitt: “Remuneration for pastoral work, whether as a teacher, soldier, or priest, is never equal to the contribution to society.” Soldiers who gave their lives, priests who saved souls, and open hearts. How can we repay the teachers who have given us so much?
Proverb 4: Jit Uberoi wrote extensively on science and modernity, but his views on the subject are often difficult to understand. Another of his sayings can help. “Pure sciences cooperate, but applied sciences compete.” In short, knowledge develops across nations, but is susceptible to enclosure by capital and profit.
Proverb 5: Thorstein Veblen’s concept of the “conspicuous consumption” of the leisure class is widely known. On this point, Jit also makes a supplementary comment about “conspicuous flamboyance,” which is also worth appreciating. This is best expressed in his maxim. “A fraudster is known by his bodyguard.” Now you can see why dictators go wild.
Maxim 6: Jit wrote extensively on Western aesthetics, the unjust occupation of modernity by Europe, and the schism of Christianity, but he was also an Indian sociologist. His quest was to make the acquisition of knowledge a duty rather than a pastime consisting of stories and tales. This is why he once said: “When subjects become easy, students become lazy.”
After reading his book The Other Heart of Europe, I hesitated for a while before telling him that it was not an easy read. To my surprise, Jit was overjoyed and said, “If it wasn’t easy for me to write that book, it shouldn’t be easy for you to read it either.” I never fully understood what Jitt said or wrote the first time I read it, but he always illuminated my brain in areas I didn’t know existed.
I first met Professor Huberoi in 1969, when I was still a student, and he was my tutor for three out of four terms. This was quite unusual, as the tutor changed every semester, and I was forced to take lessons from that teacher as punishment. He had to relearn how to form simple sentences because he deducted one point from him every time he wrote “However” in an assignment.
From those early days until now, as far as I’m concerned, the “but” is always, or whatever, forever questionable. However, in the few years I have left, it will be difficult to forget Professor JPS Yuberoi.
The author is a sociologist
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Date first uploaded: September 1, 2024 08:00 IST