For the first time, I understood, based on the literature on the subject that terms, such as ‘modern’ and ‘rational’, which we use casually and, dare I say, unthinkingly in our daily conversations about the contemporary relevance of Indic social and religious practices as well as in relation to the societal structures of Bharat—had deeper meanings that could be traced to their European colonial origins.7 The judgement and sanctimony inherent in the use of such terms became apparent to me after my exposure to coloniality.
