James H. Billington
Office of Scholarly Programs, Library of Congress,
101 Independence Avenue S.E, Washington, DC 20540-4860;
telephone (202) 707-3302, fax 202-707-3595.

Dear Mr. Billington:

RE: Dr. Koenraad Elst as a candidate for the Kluge Chair

I am writing to support the candidacy of Dr. Koenraad Elst for the prestigious Kluge Chair in Countries and Cultures of South Asia. Dr. Elst was born in Leuven Belgium on August 7, 1959 into a Flemish Catholic family. He holds a Masters degree in Chinese, Indo-Iranian studies, and Philosophy from the famed Catholic University at Leuven (KUL). His research on the ideological development of Hindu Revivalism has earned him a Ph.D. in 1998, also from the KUL. Dr. Elst spent four years studying Indian Philosophy at the Benares Hindu University in India. While establishing himself as a reputed columnist for a number of Belgian and Indian papers, he has authored a number of books and articles in English and Dutch on Oriental philosophies, history of science, language policy issues, and a multitude of current and historical topics concerning the general religio-political situation in India. Dr. Elst shows a rare courage in challenging many of the historical dogmas concerning Hinduism and the ancient history of South and West Asia. I strongly recommend his appointment as the Kluge Chair in Countries and Cultures of South Asia.

John W. Kluge Center website: www.loc.gov/kluge

Contact:
Helen Dalrymple (202) 707-1940
Robert Saladini (202) 707-2692