A Reply Post!

Perhaps it is very unusual for someone to post their reply to someone’s comments on their blog in a special dedicated blog, but that’s exactly what I am doing here! A fellow blogger called Jerome left some comments on my blog. For a few days, I thought, should I reply or shouldn’t I? For some reason, I did not feel like continuing the debate. Then I thought, not replying could be misunderstood, and I should indeed make my stance clear. I may not continue this argument further in case our friend chooses to carry this debate further, or who knows… :p

My Replies to Jerome’s Comments on my post ‘Unity in Diversity’:

Jerome, they say there is no end to an argument. And u may well post new comments in response to my response to ur response!!! I had made it very clear at the top of my blog - In this post, my focus is on the concept of Hindu unity (more correctly, the glaring lack of it). My request to my fellow Hindu readers is to come out of their age-old antipathy to anybody or anything that seeks to take up the Hindu cause….. So my friend, what u r asking me to do is to change my subject totally. U r asking me why I have chosen this topic and not 'a society where there is no religious hatred'. I asked u and I again ask you: How does my talking about reforming my own religion spread religious hatred or prove that I am against other religions? If the Christian missionaries that constantly seek to convert gullible, ignorant, illiterate tribal people and hindus are not against humanity in your eyes, how am I against humanity or other religions when all I am seeking is to strengthen my own religion? Why is a Hindu not allowed to talk about strengthening or defending the interests of his own religion without being lectured to on the need to forge a new world order without religious differences when Hindus do not even resort to converting other communities to Hinduism the way adherents of some other religions vigorously seek to do?

I had said this and I repeat: Such a world order would be an ideal state to achieve. But since u and millions like u continue to be proud Christians (in case u are that) and since millions continue to be proud muslims and still other millions continue to be proud sikhs and jews and what not, Hindus can also continue to be proud Hindus without being constantly reminded that they should simply work for a world without religious differences! Simple. I started out as a Hindu in this blog, trying to bring much needed reform to this very beautiful, spiritual and most secular religion even if 'secular religion' sounds a bit paradoxical and self-contradictory. This term is apt for Hinduism as it is the only religion that openly teaches respect for all religions (without claiming to be the ONLY true religion) and its adherents worship at churches and mosques with just as much fervour as they do at temples. I had asked: How many Christians freely go to temples or how many muslims freely go to temples? Don't u think Jermome, that Hindus, in the way they easily flock to muslim and Christian places of worship are doing more for destroying religious hatred and ushering in world peace than all the preachings and sermons of love and peace made all over the world by leaders of other religions who nevertheless never lose an opportunity to impress that they are ‘the only true religion’, ‘the only way to salvation’? So when I seek to advance or strengthen this beautiful religion whose adherents openly and sincerely respect all religions and 'Gods', am I not automatically strengthening the cause of humanity and world peace? It was in this context that I had asked u the above question. So as a Hindu, why shouldn't I be deservedly proud of belonging to a religion that practically does so much for the cause of religious tolerance?  

Another question u have not directly answered in this context was this: Have u given up ur own religion to focus on popularising ”humanity”? I again ask: If u haven't given up ur own religion, u r obviously somewhere proud enough to still profess it (while apparently pursuing the cause of humanity). I am doing the same. But the reason I am seeking to reform Hinduism is because I realize that it does need reform. Isn't the caste system an inhuman system propagating inequality right at birth on the basis of where u r born? So when I seek to get rid of this, am I not working for the cause of humanity?

I had written: U also seem to be ignorant of historical facts. The word ”hindu” comes from the word ‘’sindhu” (Indus) and it is more a geographical term than a religious one. Hindustan has been the name of India since times immemorial. What’’s wrong with me using that name? Just because the word ”hindu” is part of it? Who is betraying their narrow-minded, communal true colours here? To this ur response was:

Being ignorant of history? :)))) Well, not really .People, from time immemorial, have converted from one religion to another……voluntarily or forcibly……it is the story of present times as well……..As of incidents you have mentioned, that is history……..let it remain history…..let's learn our lessons from history…….Not use them to breed hatred .

( Here my frnd, u have conveniently skirted around my explanation of why India has always been called Hindustan, which was in response to you wondering why I had used that word instead of the British-given 'India' or the other name: Bharat which again was the name of a Hindu king!) U claim to be abreast of History, but have not given any proof to substantiate your allegation that my use of the word Hindustan for India is not justified, historically speaking. I also ask: Have u heard of the popular national song 'Saare jahan se achha, Hindustan hamara ' ? Do u refuse to sing that song because it has the word Hindustan or have u lodged any official protest with the Indian judiciary to that effect? Ever heard of the Shahrukh Khan movie: Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani? Or the movie: Hindustan Ki Kasam? Have u seen Mughal-e-azam? A voiceover in the beginning announces the name of Akbar as Shenshah-e-Hindustan Muhammad Jalaluddin Akbar? Still do not agree that 'Hindustan' has been and still is very much an accepted name for India besides ofcourse the angrezi name of 'India'? Or Bharat? I would like u to know that most people speaking Urdu (muslims) and most North Indians from Kashmir and Punjab usually call India as 'Hindustan' and not as 'Bharat'! So if the muslims can call it Hindustan, why can't I? And if I am not mistaken, when the first Indian astronaut was flying in space, Indira Gandhi was shown on TV talking to him and she asked him, "Upar se Hindustan kaisa lagta hai?" and pat came the reply: Saare Jahan se achha!!

U have also said above that 'People, from time immemorial, have converted from one religion to another……voluntarily or forcibly……it is the story of present times as well……..As of incidents you have mentioned, that is history……..let it remain history…..let's learn our lessons from history…….Not use them to breed hatred.'

First of all, I am not using History to breed hatred. I am only trying to do what u have advised: trying to learn from it! But how do I teach my fellow hindus the same lesson without mentioning this historical fact? How do I make them see what havoc their failings and shortcomings caused and what they could again possibly suffer if they did not at least learn their lessons now?

Most conversions in India have been from Hinduism to other religions and not the other way round (which could be one reason why you seem to be so smug about conversions! J) And for a major part, the conversions have been forced. And where they were done voluntarily, mostly in the case of Christianity, it is a fact u must face: most of the time, the acute ignorance and illiteracy and dire financial condition of those converting is taken advantage of. Very few educated and affluent people will ever allow themselves to be brainwashed into believing how salvation can be achieved one way or another or by embracing this religion or that. So even in the case of so-called 'voluntary' conversions it is often financial allurements or brazen exploitation of people's blind faith and superstitions through 'Miracle Healing' sessions (where people pretend to see Jesus or Mary and go into raptures when they are oh-so-miraculously healed of their afflictions - enough to impress poor, ignorant illiterates about the ‘power of the Christian God’!) or the promise of 'guaranteed salvation' that play a major role. It is therefore debatable how 'voluntary' such conversions are.

And why do u ask me to brush historical incidents under the carpet? U yourself say let's learn our lessons from history Then tell me, why do u object, when having learnt my lessons, I am trying to educate my fellow hindus on our historical failings that caused us to lose so many of us to other religions? That caused our land to be ravaged and looted by invaders? Of course I am not saying those that belong to other religions should now be done away with. Not at all! They have every right to co-exist peacefully in India. All I am seeking is to tell my fellow Hindus to stop those age-old practices that did cause India's (as we knew it then) downfall and that continues to plague our community. But the moment any Hindu tries to do that, I do not know why people from other communities are quick to begin lecturing them on 'how about giving precedence to humanity' when they have clearly not given up their own religion to pursue this noble cause. I mean working to establish humanity as the only religion in the world is a laudable goal but how many people have given up their own religions to pursue this goal? So what is the harm in Hindus safeguarding their own interests as they pursue, with others, the goal of 'humanity'. What is the harm if I seek to ensure that my own religion does not get lost completely due to its own failings while other religions continue to thrive, and are hyperactive propagating their own respective gospels? Why should Hindus be the first to start abdicating their own religion in this march to a new world order?

There is another interesting question that comes to my mind: Your ancestors were most likely Hindu. Let us say, you somehow came to know for sure, that some cruel invaders had been responsible for forcibly converting your ancestors to Christianity (assuming that is your religion today). Why would u let historical bygones be bygones? To me, the cause of Justice is one that is above all. Why would u not want to redress that grave injustice of those invaders and revert back to your true original religion Hinduism, of your own free will? Because I am sure, if someone tried to force your family to convert today, you would definitely fight with the last ounce of strength to prevent it. Then what makes u so comfortable with a historical wrong that was possibly responsible for your ancestors' conversion? U live in a free society. Why not choose to redress that wrong today voluntarily? (I am just trying to understand how you reason on this subject.) I think I know your stance. Since you yourself and your parents were born in your present religion, that is what you have grown comfortable with and since u never saw with your own eyes how wives and mothers and daughters were raped, sons and brothers and husbands were killed or burnt alive, how houses and temples were torn down, fields were laid waste in order to coerce people to convert, you are comfortable with the status quo. But how would u react if some time machine were to actually help u go back to those times and witness the carnage responsible for how u came to profess the religion u do today, and u saw for sure that your ancestors were indeed converted in the most horrendous manner? This is a question that has always intrigued me, so I ask you how you think and feel on this.

I wrote: How can the Hindu religion not decline then? How can India not be arm-twisted and intimidated by countries like China? Shouldn't we Hindus hang our heads in shame?".

U wrote: ……."Hindus-India-Hindus" and "Hindustan“…… This really hurts me, Akshay…… How can anyone use that interchangeably? If I am not a hindu, wouldn't you consider me an Indian? Why don't I figure in there? What does India mean to you? Who are its citizens? How can you deny me my motherland?

I do not seek to deny you your motherland. Nor anyone else. But the agenda of my blog was 'Reform of Hinduism' and I was chiefly addressing my fellow hindus. You have to understand that it is perfectly ok for me to talk of Indian unity and India's security even if I am only talking to Hindus since I am trying to tell my fellow hindus it was originally their failings that led to India being ravaged by hordes of muslim invaders to begin with and the numbers of Hindus shrinking, and today India being flanked on both sides by Islamic countries inimical to her interests. I am trying to draw their attention to their sad history. So when I ask the Hindus if we should not be ashamed of ourselves, it is to draw their attention to how it all started. If I have not mentioned other religions or communities, it is not to exclude them from India, but only in the context of my address being basically to my fellow Hindus as I am talking of our collective failings and how we can reform our religion. Hindus form a large majority of Hindustan and our failings or lack of unity can definitely jeopardize our security. We as the majority community do make up a very sizable chunk of India. And countries like China indeed do take advantage of our failings. Whenever Hindu politicians appease the muslim minority using them as no more than an expedient vote bank, they seriously weaken our nation somewhere and threaten our future, while doing no real good to the muslim community. I am all for spreading education amongst the muslim masses, helping them adopt family planning measures, get better health care and become as progressive and affluent as the others. But do these politicians do it the right way?

One can go on and on and on but I think this blog will have to end here. Hope I have been able to convince you that since my blog was chiefly addressed to my fellow hindus and since the subject was reform of Hinduism and how it was relevant to our country's security, I may have come across as not wishing to include other communities, but that is certainly not the case. I have good friends from all communities and we can together solve the many challenges that face our country, chiefly the population explosion that is the root cause of so many other problems. Good luck to us all!