Indian Nationalism and Cry for Hindu
only India
India is the second largest country
in the world with its population behind China with 1.28 billion people. Religions co-existed in India and India was
called the land of religions. There are at least four religions originated in
India (Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism and Sikhism) and India was a perfect example
of religious harmony and secularized religious ideologies, co-existing for
thousands of years and sharing the common existence of major religions like
Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Animism,
Zoroastrianism and Judaism. Even Judaism
had 2500 years of harmonious existence in India, which will be a surprise to
many in the western world.
The traditional account of Jewish
presence for trade in India trace back to 562 BCE and there was a friendly
welcome of a large number of Jewish community migrated to Kerala around the
first century AD (70CE) as well as 15th Century arrival of the third
waves. Cochin (Kerala) Jewish community
is known as the oldest continuously living Jewish community in the world.
Since Narendra Modi with the support
of the communal political groups (RSS, VHP, Shiv Sena, Bajrang Dal etc) came to
power in 2014, there are intentional restrictions, tension and communal threats
created by Communal groups. This threatens the mere existence of the minorities
like Muslims, Christians, Dalits and Tribal etc. Recently the disharmony is
elevated raising the issues based on eating beef, conversion and Dalits (low
caste and people outside of the caste system) worshiping at the temple
etc. These issues are connected with the
purity restrictions, untouchablity, color consciousness and holy animals placed
by the religious structures for control and domination. This is also same in the
case of menstruating women who were not allowed to have sex with their husbands
and believed that the polluted blood will create disabled children. Menstruating women are not supposed to enter
the Hindu temple because they are ‘unclean’, and they need to keep themselves
away from sacred objects in their homes. These are examples of unscientific
approaches of the religion for control and domination.
India has 175 million Muslims and
keeping in mind the fact that this is more than the population of Iran, Iraq
and Saudi Arabia combined. The discrimination against the Dalit community is
very significant because the number of people affected (167 Million) and since
the enlightenment the nation is trying to elevate this community by giving them
special rights and privileges. We can’t reverse what we have done and attempted
to do since our independence because the developed India as a nation can’t keep
this population in the margins of the society. The value of India stand
globally on the other side with its Indian nationalism which stands for nonviolent
ideologies. Dalits are still broken, still suppressed, still being tied to
trees and beaten by upper caste and the police do nothing in many cases because
they don’t represent the Dalit community in India.
Here the question comes to our mind
how will we see the progressive India? Will the human rights be equal for every
citizen no matter what religion, ethnic background, color of their skin, the
state or geographical location they represents. Martin Luther King Jr. said
injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. World is not an isolated village any more and
human right involves the right to choose the food, worship the God whom he or
she believes and freedom of speech. We can’t work hard to create monism and
diversity and pluralism is the foundation stone for growth and success. I would
vehemently argue for Indian ideal of Pluralism because it is not a luxury but a
necessity for a healthy India. Which consists of a healthy society, system of a
healthy government, or an organization that has different groups that keep
their identities while existing with other groups or a more dominant group. A
nation of cultural homogeneity is impossible and will be an unfulfilled
dream of the fundamentalists. I am sure the new freedom movement is required
because there is confusion between Hindu nationalism and Indian nationalism.
Passing anti-conversion bill, persecution, re-conversion by force and marriage
and Ghar Wapasi (Re-conversion) campaigns are not the solution and will only
create a dangerous situation in India.
Freedom and Indian nationalism is the oxygen of the Indian soul and
life without freedom is not life at all.
Nelson Mandela once said: No one is born hating another person because
of the color of his or her skin or his or her background or his or her
religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be
taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its
opposite.
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