IS HINDU DHARMA GOOD AND HINDUTVA BAD?
“When
Germany is Christian, is India Hindu?” got amazingly good response with
thousands of facebook likes. However, some readers felt I made a
mistake by not distinguishing between good, tolerant Hinduism, which is a
private belief, and bad, intolerant Hindutva, which stands for the
‘communal agenda of an extreme right Hindu party’ that wants to force
uniform Hinduism on this vast country, an act which is completely
un-Hindu and against the pluralism of India.
Is Hindutva really different from Hindu
Dharma and dangerous? Or have those, which coined the term, an interest
in making it look like that? No doubt, Hindutva has a bad name in the
eyes of many, in spite of the ruling of the Supreme Court in 1995:
“Hindutva is indicative more of the way
of life of the Indian people. …Considering Hindutva as hostile,
inimical, or intolerant of other faiths, or as communal proceeds from an
improper appreciation of its true meaning.”
I would like to explain from a personal
angle, why I came to the conclusion that it is indeed ‘an improper
appreciation of its true meaning’, when Hindutva is branded as communal
and dangerous.
For many years I lived in ‘spiritual
India’ without any idea how important the terms ‘’secular’ and
’communal’ were. The people I met were appreciative of India’s great
heritage. They gave me tips which texts to read, which sants to meet,
which mantras to learn, etc., and I wrote about it for German readers. I
used to think that all Indians are genuinely proud of their ancestors,
who had stunningly deep insights into what is true about us and the
universe and who left a huge legacy of precious ancient texts
unparalleled in the world.
However, when I settled in a ‘normal’
environment away from ashrams and pilgrimage places and connected with
the English speaking middle class including some foreign wives, I was
shocked that several of my new friends with Hindu names were ridiculing
Hinduism without knowing much about it. They had not even read the
Bhagavad-Gita, but pronounced severe judgment. They gave the impression
as if Hinduism was the most depraved and violent of all religions and
responsible for all the ills India is facing. The caste system and crude
rules of Manusmiti were quoted as proof. Reading newspapers and
watching TV, I also discovered an inexplicable, yet clear anti Hindu
stand.
My new acquaintances had expected me to
join them in denouncing ‘primitive’ Hinduism which I could not do as I
knew too much, not only form reading extensively, but also from doing
sadhana. They were not amused and declared that I had read the wrong
books. They asked me to read the right books, which would give me the
‘correct’ understanding. They obviously did not doubt their own view to
be the correct one. However, instead of coming around by reading Romila
Thapar and co, I rather got the impression that there was an intention
behind the negative portrayal of Hinduism: Christianity and Islam were
meant to look good in comparison. My neighbour, a writer with communist
leanings, henceforth introduced me to his friends as “the local RSS
pracharak”. Many ‘secular’ Indians consider the RSS as Hindu
fundamentalists, occasionally equating it even with Islamic terror
groups. So no surprise that an elderly lady once retorted, “In this case
I am not pleased to meet you.”
What was my ‘fault’? I dared to say that I
love Hindu Dharma, as it (its off- springs Buddhism, Jainism and
Sikhism included) is the only religion that is inclusive and not
divisive, whereas Christianity and Islam divide humanity into those who
have the ‘true faith’ and those who are wrong and will pay for it
eternally in hell, if not already on earth. Standing up for Hindu Dharma
(and not only following it in private) indicted me as belonging to the
‘Hindutva brigade’ that is shunned by mainstream media. Of course my
stand is neither communal nor dangerous for India. Hindu Dharma is
indeed inclusive, and needs to gain strength at the expense of
Christianity and Islam, which are exclusive and therefore communal.
No doubt something is seriously wrong
about the public discourse on ‘secular’ and ‘communal’ in India. I can’t
believe that those media anchors and invited guests don’t know it.
Indians are intelligent. So why would they get secular and communal
wrong?
Secular
means worldly in contrast to sacred or religious, and secularism is a
western concept. State and religion were intertwined since Christianity
became state religion in the Roman Empire. The Church declared what is
the truth, for example that that Jesus is the only way or that the earth
is flat, and everyone had to agree. If scientists disagreed, they were
in serious trouble. Not without reason those centuries of Church
domination are called ‘dark ages’ and the liberation from her tight
embrace is called the era of ‘Enlightenment’. For Christian Europe, it
was a great and hard fought achievement to get ‘secular’ states, where
the Church could not push anymore her agenda through state laws. Several
centuries ago, even the Sunday mass was obligatory in German kingdoms.
Nobody was allowed to leave Christianity. The blasphemy laws kept the
flock in check. Heresy was punished severely. Jews suffered
discrimination and persecution all through history being branded as the
killers of Jesus.
After Martin Luther split the Church into
Protestants and Catholics, fierce wars were fought over supremacy which
destroyed much of central Europe. In 1648, after 30 years of fighting, a
compromise was found: the subjects of a region had to follow the
religion of their ruler. Only in 1847, a Prussian king introduced a law
for ‘negative religious freedom’, which meant, his subjects had the
right to leave the Catholic or Protestant Church. Ever since, the
Churches are losing sheep from their flock. It points to the fact that
Christianity did not grow because its dogmas were convincing. It gained
strength because those born in the faith could not leave it. The
blasphemy laws propped up Christianity.
India has a completely different story.
Sanatana Dharma was never based on unreasonable dogmas and did not need
state oppression to keep believers in check. It was not in opposition to
science. It was helpful to society as a whole by giving guidelines for
an ideal life that acknowledges the invisible, conscious essence in the
visible universe. It did not straight jacket people into an unbelievable
belief system. It allowed freedom of thought and many parallel streams
with different ways to connect to this essence emerged. “Hinduism is a
way of life”, is often said. Following Hindu Dharma is actually anideal way of life.
Since I grew up in the Catholic Church
and know the narrow mindedness that is indoctrinated into children, I
wonder why on earth Indians would prefer dogmatic religions to their
ancient, benign Dharma. Don’t they see the real communal danger? Those
‘secular’ friends, who fiercely defend the right of the religious
minorities to assert their exclusive identity, don’t seem to realise
that both, Christianity and Islam cannot live with others peacefully.
Both religions need to dominate. And both are very powerful worldwide,
politically and financially. As long as they have not yet the numbers in
India, they may downplay the central tenet of exclusiveness in their
ideologies. But exist it does.
Secularism has dented the influence of
Christianity in the west. But the Church did not give up its goal to
make the whole mankind believe in Christ, and focusses now on the huge
mass of Hindus. In Islam, the clergy still has a hold on the faithful
and in several Muslim countries leaving Islam is punishable by death. As
the Quran itself forbids the followers to leave the faith, it is
difficult to forego the blasphemy laws.
The Indian secularists seem to fight for
the right of Christianity and Islam to be communal and for their
followers not to integrate into the Indian society, but to stress their
separate identity. And what is this separate identity? It is merely an
unverifiable belief that gravely impacts the mind-set. This mind-set not
only creates outsiders, but it creates outsiders that are looked down
upon. How can educated Indians be blind to the danger and risk having in
future more partitions on the basis of unsubstantiated religious
beliefs, including the risk of more terrible bloodshed?
Strangely, the dogmatic, exclusive
religions are not accused of being divisive, but Hinduism is. Why?
Hindus are required to see Brahman, the one Godhead, in everyone, never
mind how he connects to his creator. In contrast, the followers of
dogmatic religions are not required to respect those who reject their
respective ‘true religion’. They are even allowed to hate them. The
ease, with which Christians and Muslims killed unbelievers, is
frightening. Only 70 years ago six million Jews were murdered in cold
blood in gas chambers in Germany. Only a little over 40 years ago,
hundred thousands, if not millions, of Hindus were butchered in
Bangladesh. There are many more examples. Humanity needs to win over
such madness. How? Hindu Dharma has the key: acknowledge that we are all
members of one family – coming from the same source with the same blood
as it were.
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Sharon, the RSS Activist - The last Victim of Marxist-Islamist Terrorism Nexus in Kerala. |
Hindus in Kerala are
almost under siege in the Muslim majority districts of Malappuram and
Kottayam and also in Christian majority district of Ernakulam. The
Hindus of other three or four districts in Kerala are also in danger
line. The Mallapuram district was carved out to create a Muslim
majority district by the Communist government headed by E.M.S
Namboodiripad on 16 June 1969.
This land of Kerala is famous for the
birth place of Adi Shankarayara and bearing a strong legacy of Hindu
tradition and culture. But for a long drawn strategy of the anti Hindu
force in Kerala, the Hindus are now decreasing the numbers and powers in
Kerala which is very alarming.
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Slaughter
of Pregnant cow near Sasatha Temple at Peumbavoor - A warning to Hindu society
in Kerala
|
In the last week, two disastrous incident happened in Kerala one at Perumbavoor in Ernakulam
District where a pregnant cow was slaughtered by three Muslim butchers
under instigation of the Muslim perpetrators in front of a Hindu Sasatha
Temple temple during Makara Villakku time in Sabarimala and one Hindu
activist named Sharon (Mullassery area RSS Karyavaha) was brutally
murdered on 19th January 2012 in Manaloor area of Thrissur
District by anti Hindu force led by CPIM-Islamist perpetrators. All the
times Hindus and their sentiments are vehemently attacked with dire
consequences in Kerala by anti Hindu force having their roots in Arabia,
gulf countries or in Vatican. However, as a retaliation of Sharon’s
murder, the local CPIM offices was vandalized and set on fire on the
next day on 20th January.
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Dawn-to-dusk shutdown and rallies in Ernakulam district at Muvattupuzha, Kunnathunadu and Kothamangalam area marked vehement Hindu Protest against Cow Slaughter in front of Perumbavoor Temple. |
In the last three years in Kerala, more
than 100 of Hindu activists (most of them are RSS, Hindu Munnani or
Hindu Aiyakavedi activists) were murdered by the Muslim, Christian or
CPIM goons, over 2000 Hindu girls were snatched forever by Muslim Love
Jehadis, hundreds of Hindu establishments and Hindu occupations were
vacated by the anti-Hindu Muslim, Christian or Political force, many
Hindu temples and Devaswom boards were forcefully undertaken
through anti-Hindu legislation. Anti-Hindus secular policies of the
pseudo secular government of Kerala, either led by the secular Congress
party or Communist parties always harm the Hindus in Kerala. The
elected “Secular” Government of Kerala tried to a legislative Bill in 2010
with a view to take over only Hindu temples, trusts, their asserts
and related affairs including the revenue from Hindu devotees, their
donations and endowments, and entrusted their ownership, management and
control to specially constituted statutory bodies like Travancore
Devaswom Board, Cochin Devaswom Board, Guruvayoor Temple Committee, etc.
But that bill was somehow restrained by the Hindu organizations through a series of protests.
Politics in Kerala has always been
controlled by either Left power led by CPIM or the Rights counterpart
led by Congress in their term were obviously dependent upon the Kerala
Congress (A Christian Political force) or the Muslim League to grab the
power in Assembly. The vote bank policies never facilitated Hindu voters
in recent past except in the case of Pallakad Municipality was captured in 2005.
In the recent years the Muslim and Christian political groups are
putting various pressures upon all the political parties in Kerala to
fulfil their goal for a ethnic cleansing of Hindus in the furthest
destination in the south India. Newly built ‘Kerala Religious Police” a
Muslim fanatic wing, Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and the
Islamic Sevak Sangh (ISS), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) floated by the
Islamists of Kerala, all are very musch active Keralian Jehadi road
maps or the reorganized National Democratic Front (NDF) have recently
emerged as stronger alternatives to ISS and SIMI and have allegedly
masterminded communal violence in recent years.
Perumbavoor, where the
Jihadi Islamic fanatics slaughtered a pregnant Cow in Temple site and
the surrounding areas have witnessed a rise in Islamist operations
recently. The place is just 25 km away from Muvattupuzha, where
activists of Islamist organization Popular Front of India had cut off
the right hand of a college professor on July 4, 2010.
In 1921, present day Malappuram district witnessed a devastating revolts and massacres known as the Moplah rebellions killing lacs of innocent Hindus overnight. Through the establishment of Mallapuram, all the then Hindu majority districts in Kerala was divided in two parts
as the Kasaragod, Kannur, Wayanad and Kozhikode in the North were
separated from the districts of Palakkad, Thrissur, Ernakulam , Idukki,
Kottayam, Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta, Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram in
the southern part. And if the non Muslims in Ernakulam and Idukki get
majority in any chance (high chance is there) the Kerala Hindus will be
divided by three parts geographically. All these are happening under a
certain plan by the anti – Hindu force in Kerala.
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Demographic change in Kerala marks a disastrous destiny of Kerala Hindus. |
Out of 14 districts of Kerala Hindus are
minority in at least five districts as the non Hindu population is
larger now than the Hindu population there. These districts are (i) Malappuram (ii) Wayanad (iii) Ernakulam (iv) Idukki and (v) Kottayam in
which Muslims are singly majority in Mallapuram and Kottayam and
Christians are singly majority in Ernakulam Districts as per projection
reports available on the basis of Census Report 2001 (published) and the
Census Report 2011 (un-published).
As per Census Report 2001, the district-wise population of Hindus, Muslims and Christians is as follows: Kasaragod: 7,05,234 (Hindus), 4,13,063 (Muslims), 84,891 (Christians); Kannur: 14,80,748 (H), 6,65,648 (M), 2,61,090 (C); Kozhikode: 16,69,161 (H), 10,78,759 (M), 1,27,468 (C); Wayanad: 3,92,141 (H), 2,09,758 (M) 1,75,495 (C); Malappuram : 10,57,418 (H), 24,84,576 (M), 1,75,495 (C); Palakkad: 18,02,766 (H), 7,03,596 (M), 1,09,249 (C); Thrissur : 17,61,842 (H), 4,88,697 (M), 7,20,152 (C); Ernakulam: 14,44,994 (H), 4,51,764 (M), 12,04,471 (C); Idukki : 5,66,744 (H), 81,222 (M), 4,80,108 (C); Kottayam: 9,63,497 (H), 1,16,686 (M), 8,71,371 (C); Alappuzha: 14,57,188 (H), 2,08,042 (M), 4,41,643 (C); Pathanamthitta: 6,94,560 (H), 56,457 (M), 4,81,602 (C); Kollam : 16,85,044 (H), 4,74,071 (M), 4,23,745 (C) and Thiruvananthapuram:
22,02,112 (H), 4,31,512 (M) and 5,95,563 (C). In the red lined
districts Hindus became minority now below the strength of Non-Muslim
population there.
Following the path of Muslim dominated Mallapuram district, Kottayam also became a certain Hindu Minority District in Kerala.
As per the recent details published by Department of Economics and
statistics, Kerala, out of 19,53,646 population the so called minority
Muslims counts for 9,88,057 while the Hindu population is only 9,63,497.
The current demographic trends in Kerala
indicate that within the next five years Hindus will become a minority
in the land of Sankaracharya (Kerala). As per recent census, Kerala
population is: Hindus 56.20 per cent. Muslims 26.7 per cent and
Christians 20.90 per cent. But the joint effort of the Muslims and
Christians to end the Hindu majority and hold in Kerala to make a
Kashimr or Nagaland in the certain parts of the state has been speeding
up gradually since the declaration of Mallapuram as the first Muslim
majority district in India in 1969. More over, the area wise increase of
Muslims and Christians and the decrease of Hindus in Kerala in general
is a dangerous threat to so called secular and democratic atmosphere in
Kerala. Once Hindus become a minority, Hindu slaughter will begin like
in Kashmir and Nagaland. Keralite Hindus cannot stop it in Kerala alone
if the others Hindus in every Indian state do not retaliate and restrict
the Jihad and Evangelization in Kerala just now. Yes, now or never. We
should support the Hindu cause in Kerala.
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