This statue found at Kalibangan looks very similar to a Shiva Linga. Some people think it is evidence of early Shaivite symbolism. The resemblance is definitely interesting though. What do you all think, it's just a coincidence or could it be a symbol of proto-Shaivism?
source: https://asi.nic.in/pdf/Excavation-at-Kalibangan-Part-II-min-1-compressed_compressed.pdf
Where is the evidence for the claim that most Indian men won't get married without arranged marriage?
I keep seeing a lot of people saying things like “the majority of Indian men wouldn’t get married if not for arranged marriage.”
I rarely see any actual data for this bizzare claim. It just gets repeated as if it’s an established fact.
Anyone familiar with arranged marriage dynamics knows women reject plenty of prospects too, so the idea that men are simply being handed marriages doesn’t really reflect reality.
What bothers me is that these kinds of blanket statements about Indian men would probably be called out immediately if they were made about other groups. It feels more like racist stereotyping than a serious discussion. These kind of things really shows you their true color. So much for them being empathetic and progressive.
P.S. I’m not denying forced marriages exist or that some people have been pressured into marriage. Those cases are real and should be acknowledged. I just don’t think it’s accurate to present that as the norm.
A thing I keep noticing whenever racist mocking of India gets called out is the number of brown sepoys rushing in to defend it by saying things like:
“They’re just showing the truth.”
“If we don’t change, people will keep mocking us.”
I think this completely misses the point. Yes, racists often take real examples poverty, poor sanitation, overcrowding, etc. My question is what exactly is the practical solution people expect here? India still has 200–300 million people living in extreme or near extreme poverty. You cannot magically lift hundreds of millions of people into middle class living standards overnight. Economic development is a slow historical process. Even with strong growth, large countries improve gradually over decades not in a few years. There is no magic solution here.
Economic growth is already happening at a decent pace by historical standards. Infrastructure, literacy, sanitation, and income levels have improved significantly compared to previous generations. But expecting India to suddenly become a developed country is detached from economic reality.
Sepoys completely ignore the progress being made and refuse to accept the reality that economic growth takes time. Whether you like it or hate it growth is only going to happen gradually. So no matter how much you "show truth" or mock poverty it ain't gonna go away any sooner.