During my 30 hrs journey from B’lore to Gwalior, i read “India:From Midnight to Millennium” an appealing book by Shashi Tharoor. I have an affinity for books giving any kind of information about India, be it its diverse geographical limits or controversial age old traditions, its myths, its ideas. The book is an mix of fascinating account and eloquent argument for the importance of India to the future of industrialized world. Although book was being written sometime in 1997, so some of the economic reforms talks have become byzantine, yet the social political sketch is a masterpiece.
I am in a habit to write the book reviews, and i may do so with this book so, but i am unwilling. Reason being, there is so much to comment and if i begin writing, i might not justify it with the depth. So, no book criticism! Something deviant this time and that would be chalk talk about religion, an exhilarating chapter in the book.
I am Hindu by religion and during my 23 age of age, i have grown expressions from strong fanaticism to school age atheism to antagonism. At tender age, Shivaji used to be my idol for just because i hate Aurangzeb and foe’s foe is your friend. Later, i grew up in body and brains, saw riots, understood religious extremism, gone bitter towards religion itself, stop praying and participating in the rituals happening. Further, i became more matured and gone confused, for i begin to question the very basic of religion and more precisely Hinduism, should say that this subject fascinates me and at present age i am trying to understand it. But this is strange, having born in a highly religious family (my grandparents have spent 18 years in Rishikesh where my grandfather did honorary administrator job at Parmarth Niketan Ashram and as a child i have invariably spent at least one month of my summer holidays there.) The stories of Rama, Krishna, Ganesha, Ravan, Kansa, Vishnu etc fascinate me but at the same time, my reasons are not willing to accept them as god. However at the same time, if given a choice i’ll choose Hinduism in all religions, for the reason that religion gives you infinite flexibility and it lacks fanatic dictum.
But whenever i read about Hindu fundamentalism, it pains me. Hinduism by itself lacks fundamentals, its most customized religion. There are no guidelines even, leave alone fundamentals. If you like serious idealism, pray God Ram and if you are notorious and jubilant by nature, there is Lord Krishna as choice. Noone will complain or ask. There are no organized way of praying, no particular architecture of temples, no rituals or rites to perform compulsorily nor any particular sacred book. Infact the very word ‘Hindu’ is not mentioned into any of our holy books but given by foreigners. French and Persian language define Indian as Hindu. History also remarks that all those living beside river Indus are Hindus. To make matters more funny, Indus river is now in Islamic Pakistan.
Hinduism has never been extreme. Its basically the indigenous religion of India, with wide set of practices and doctrines but no dogmas. Hinduism is perhaps the only religion that accepts the existence of other religions too and confirms that there are various ways to reach ultimate salvation. Hinduism has been most tolerant and most adaptive throughout in the history, be it Aryans or Mughals or English or Portuguese. They were welcomed, and even when Hindus suffered from atrocities committed over them time to time have never turned hostile (like zazia tax during Aurangzeb regime, destruction of temples etc).
Then what turned suddenly ? We are having mosque demolitions by Hindu fanatics, they are celebrating killing of muslims in Gujarat riots. We generally think about this, chuckle and attribute this to age old Hindus harassment and reason that its some mental emotional turmoil state and stop. Lets move one step forward, its not just emotional problem but it arises out of deep political and social erosion into the faith.
Its mainly twentieth century politics of deprivation that has caused this. The vote bank politics has put most liberal religion on the verge of identity crisis. Now there is fight for resources and resources are not divided on some rational basis but on caste basis. Minorities, SC,/STs. Backward castes are preferred in contentious democracy. Voters are mobilized on this basis and promised are made so. Now Indians have become more conscious than ever before of what divides us.
Take the case of Babri Masjid demolition in 1992. Just before this, there was Mandal affair trauma. The upper and middle castes erupted into protest over that. BJP, another political party smell the situation, diverted the already heated people towards Ramjanambhoomi andolan and finally led to mosque demolition. The point which i wish to prove is that had there been not Mandal issue, it would have been difficult for then BJP to attract such huge support from fanatics. Our socialists may laugh at my thesis that its Mr. VP Singh who is responsible for mosque demolition more than anybody. He is the cause, rest everything is symptom.
In this nation, when everything is seeming to go well, the appalling state of politics is worry. Despite all odds, our entrepreneurs are doing great and our state which should at least show some signs of improvement with time is moving backward. Perhaps the only nation, where people say proudly that they are backward and where in order to be forward, you have to be backward.
Inside Pawan 