Meet Meera Nanda as New Prophet of Rationality
It is ironic label but it cuts into the heart of the problem. The term Prophet captures the fundamental contradiction in her work. A true rationalist discovers principles through evidence and applies them consistently. A prophet reveals truth from a position of authority and expects submission. Nanda operates as the latter while claiming to be the former. She assumes prophetic authority over what counts as rational, then pronounces judgment. That is not science. That is theology with footnotes.
Methodology
1. She Defines Reason (When Convenient):
- “Scientific temper” = whatever opposes Hindu practices
- “Secular” = whatever weakens Hindu public presence
- “Rational” = her particular Western academic framework
2. She Applies It (Without Definition):
- Labels practices “pseudo-science” without criteria
- Declares things “superstitious” without standards
- Calls alliances “complex” without thresholds
3. The Prophetic Move: She positions herself as the arbiter of what counts as rational, secular, or scientific. Disagreement with her is not an intellectual debate. It is irrationality. She decides what is disagreement.
She operates in a ‘Self-Sealing System.’ This is the logic which makes her unfalsifiable:
Evidence contradicts her theory?
→ The people are suffering “false consciousness”Voters reject her prescription?
→ They’ve been manipulated by the “state-temple-corporate complex”Cross-religious alliances form?
→ Ignore them, focus on “Hindu Raj”She can’t name a working model?
→ Because only she understands true secularism
This is prophetic thinking:
- “I alone have seen the truth”
- “Those who disagree are deluded”
- “Reality that contradicts me is false reality”
The Ultimate Irony
She writes against “superstition” and “god-men” who claim special access to truth. Yet her methodology mirrors theirs:
- Revealed knowledge (her framework) over empirical testing
- Unquestionable premises (majoritarianism is bad, period)
- Followers (citation circle) rather than skeptics
- Escalating certainty despite contrary evidence
Prophets don’t adjust to data. They interpret data through unchanging revelation. When Kerala shows Hindu-Christian BJP alliances, a scientist would say: “Interesting, my theory needs revision.” A prophet says: “This changes nothing. The Hindu Raj has still arrived. January 22, 2024 was the moment.”
The Academic Priesthood
There is an institutional dimension to the problem. Just as religious prophets need a priesthood (to interpret, propagate, defend the message), intellectual prophets need an academic priesthood:
- Disciples who cite without questioning
- Gatekeepers who protect from criticism
- Seminaries (certain university departments) where the doctrine is taught as truth
- Funding temples (foundations, grants) that sustain the faithful
The whole system depends on never actually testing the prophecy against falsifiable evidence. Often she need not define anything and apply a strange logic as if it is universally acceptable truth. By keeping terms undefined:
- She can apply them infinitely broadly
- No one can prove her wrong (what standard?)
- Critics can’t engage precisely (fighting fog)
- She retains interpretive monopoly
It’s the intellectual equivalent of saying “God works in mysterious ways” as her “theory can’t be disproven.” Because no theory exists.
The Title of Her Next Work?
It makes me wonder what would be the title of her next book or paper. Given the trajectory:
- 2009: “The God Market” (analytical tone)
- 2016: “Science in Saffron” (harder edge)
- 2025: “Way of the Jackal” (openly hostile)
By 2029, perhaps she will write: “The Heretics: Why Democracy Chose Darkness.” Because when prophets are rejected by the people, the problem is never the prophecy. The problem is always the fallen world that refuses enlightenment.
References:
- Meera Nanda “God Delusion at Work: My Indian Travel Diary” Economic Political Weekly 2008: https://www.epw.in/journal/2008/42/commentary/god-delusion-work-my-indian-travel-diary.html
- Fight faith based Politics: https://independent.academia.edu/MeeraNanda
- The God Market: https://www.academia.edu/65857600/The_God_Market_How_Globalization_is_Making_India_More_Hindu