" You don't think this happens in the United States? - -Corsair"
Its like comparing John Allegro's 'The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross' to 'Creation Science' peddled by christian fundamentalists. Some difference

--John Allegro was a very established philologist(expert on ancient languages) and one of the translators of the Dead Sea Scrolls; one might disagree with his claim earlier 'christians' were magic mushroom addicts and most ancient religions originated from fertility cults. But the debate could be carried out on a platform of rationality. While the 6-days or 7 days creationism is pure BS and no scientists who value his/her academic credential skin would support that unless 'one day' in the book of genesis is BSed into millions or billions of years.

Some archaeologists argued N. america was first discoverd by Vikings, E. Asians.... One can add black africans into the lists but the whole thing is still tractable and debatable.

While claims of ancient hindus  invented nukes, energy beam weapons, xeno head transplant, internet are just as BS as any religious BS. The difference and similarity between 'creation science' and ganesh head transplant:

--Similarity: 1)The elite or the high priests(believe me,most are cynics) know that these are BS but they've no choice but to defend the tribal deity(ies)., 2)The more ignorant of the 'believers' just go with the flow and avoid the 'heretic' /'traitor' tag.

--Difference: In the yankie case, its basically an issue of conservatism and will change,whether the religious establishment like it or not; a good example is that an increasing number of clerics are tolerating homosexuality.

In the hindu case, its a more complex issue and could only be understood if one tries to imagine one is in the capacity/position of an early hindu nationalist honcho(again, most likely a religious cynic ) and look at what options he had. First of all, what hold a country together (particularly in view of the fact the last time before 1947 india(northern india only) was unified happened more than 2000 yrs ago under the reign of King Asoka):

a)Race  ? Too bad, racially hindustan is most complex.

b)Language ? hindustan has 16 'official' languages

c)Sense of sharing common history/heritage ? Too bad, as I said, ancient hindus lacked historians and historical record; Fairy tales,like the mahabharata, are/were more in vogue.  Besides the dravidians don't particularly like the 'aryans'

d)Common religion ? Now we're talking senses. So the hindu nationalists must try to inflat the religious balloon, whatever it takes. The elite definitely know ganesh head transplant is BS and embarrassing but they can't help it. I've never posted at any BR type forum but I bet any chinese poster raising the comedy of ganesh head transplant at any hindu nationalist forum will have his/her post deleted in no time.

e)One can throw in external threat perception too. Thats why china is their 'enemy'.........

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Incidentally china has almost all the above ingredients; as a secular civilisation, the role of religions is quite minor. Many chinese overlook the role of part e) or geopolitical darwinism ever since the koren war

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Its expected the yanks want to give the hindu 'good press' as counter weight to china just like regardless how they trumpet 'human rights' they usually don't bother with the saudi safalis fanaticism