“Decolonizing IKS”, Pragyata, August 04, 2026
“Delivered by Prof. Prakash Shah on behalf of Prof. Vamsee Juluri at the panel “Decolonisation, Public Discourse and IKS” during the IKSHA Conference at Gautam Buddha University, Greater Noida, this thought-provoking talk argues that decolonisation cannot be reduced to merely replacing Western knowledge with Indian knowledge. It challenges the Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) movement to examine its own assumptions and recover the spiritual foundations of Bharatiya knowledge. The talk ultimately asks whether true decolonisation is possible if Bhagawan is removed from the centre of the civilizational worldview.
Bhakta vatsala
Bhakta aparaadha sahishnu
Sri Mukhya Praana Avataara bhutanaam…”
I begin by invoking in trust, surrender, and joyous delight that “kshamaa samudra” or “ocean of forgiveness” described by Sri Raaghavendra Swami. My thoughts today are shaped deeply by the practice of listening to his famous prose-composition of morning affirmation (the Praathaha Sankalpa Gadyam). I will see only Lord Vishnu’s quality of oceanic forgiveness in us as I ask for my esteemed panelists and audience’s forgiveness for my inability to join us in person today.
A slightly bigger challenge though is for us to find the quality of forgiveness, or perhaps forbearance, in confronting the big and bad and almost unforgivable ghora or paapa or horror, that has warranted the title of our panel here today: colonialism, colonization, coloniality, colonial consciousness……”
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