Hindutva-use and misuse
In ancient India, the word Hindu was never an orthodox religious word but was instead a liberal one having a strong geographical and cultural meaning attached to it. Interestingly, the words "Hindu" and "Hinduism" were not Sanskrit words. No Hindu ever coined them. Ancient Hindus were even unaware of such terminologies for a very long time. In ancient India you had either a yogi, a bhakta, a tantric, a sanyasi, a sankhya vadin, a vedantin, a lokayata, a rishi, a muni, a pandit, a pragna, a yogini, a devi, a swami, a Buddha, a Jain, but no Hindu. The British first started associating the word 'Hindu' with religion. 'Hindu' otherwise was a very secular word meant to define and distinguish all the people of the Indian subcontinent. All these people would come from different regions, would speak different languages, belong to different economic and social strata, but even then were all united by a common cultural bond. They knew clearly that the tradition that was binding them together, i.e. the Hindu identity, was before them and would remain forever after them. The Supreme Court of India, in a landmark Judgment on Hindu and Hindutva, observed how these terms are indicative more of a way of life of the Indian people and are not confined merely to describe persons practicing the Hindu religion as a faith. The Supreme Court further said that these terms are not necessarily to be understood and construed narrowly, confined only to the strict Hindu religious practices unrelated to the culture and ethos of the people of India or depicting the way of life of the Indian people. That being the genesis of the term 'Hindu', it is a cruel irony that 'Hindutva', which stems from the word Hindu and simply means principles of Hinduism, is today used as an instrument of hate and terror. Hindutva must be used and understood as a synonym of Indianisation having a positive, cultural, geographic and Nationalistic message attached to it. That is what Savarkar, who coined this term, wanted it to be. Sadly, it is today used not as a tool of social unity but as a trident of political intimidation. Sandeep Heble Panaji-Goa ########################################################################## # Send submissions for Goanet to [EMAIL PROTECTED] # # PLEASE remember to stay on-topic (related to Goa), and avoid top-posts # # More details on Goanet at http://joingoanet.shorturl.com/ # # Please keep your discussion/tone polite, to reflect respect to others # ##########################################################################
