The question is, if the Muslims and Christians are Hindus, why do you have to kill them, destroy their institutions, rape their women and loot their houses, the way it happened in Gujarat, Kandhamal and many other places.
On Wed, Aug 13, 2014 at 1:01 PM, Sukla Sen <[email protected]> wrote: > "The entire world recognizes Indians as Hindus therefore India is a > Hindu state. This is a very simple thing, if inhabitants of England > are English, those of Germany are Germans and USA is Americans, all > those who live in Hindustan are known as Hindus." > > Let's take this brilliant (!) argument at its face value, for a > moment: All inhabitants of "Hindustan" are Hindus. > Then what happens to those Hindus who are inhabitants, or citizens, of > countries other than India (or "Hindustan)? Do they cease being Hindus > and stop calling themselves Hindu? > Then what happens to the Hindus in Nepal or Bali, in Indonesia? > What happens to the Hindu American Foundation (HAF), an affiliate of the > RSS? > What happens to the ***Vishwa*** Hindu Parishad (VHP)? > > Sukla > > On 12/08/2014, Ram Puniyani <[email protected]> wrote: > > *Is 'Hindu' our National Identity?* > > > > *Ram Puniyani* > > > > > > > > From the decade of 1980 the identity based politics has come to the fore > in > > our Country. The Shah Bano issue, the Ram Temple imbroglio and the Rath > > yatras, brought to fore the issues related identity, the first major > > casualty of this politics was the demolition of Babri Masjid. Around that > > the notion that we are a Hindu nation propped up in a serious way and > also > > that 'we are all Hindus' came to the fore. Lately with Modi-BJP getting > > simple majority in the parliament, this formulation is being asserted > more > > powerfully. Around 1990 Murli Manohar Joshi, the then BJP President, said > > that we are all Hindus, Muslims are Ahmadiya Hindus, Christians are > Christi > > Hindus and Jains-Sikhs-Buddhists are also Hindus as such. Sikhs, Jains > and > > Buddhists are regarded as sects of Hindu pantheon by RSS. It is another > > matter that when the earlier RSS Sarsanghchalka, K. Sudarshan, said that > > Sikhism is not a religion as such but is a mere sect of Hinduism, there > > were massive protests in Punjab. > > > > With Modi at helm, the RSS combine is going hammer and tongs in asserting > > that all Indians have to call themselves as Hindus. Keeping this in mind, > > in tune with 'when asked to bend you crawl' the Goa Deputy Chief Minister > > Francis Desouza, a member of BJP, said that Christians are Christian > > Hindus. The RSS Supremo Mohan Bhagwat went on the reiterate that "The > > entire world recognizes Indians as Hindus therefore India is a Hindu > state. > > This is a very simple thing, if inhabitants of England are English, those > > of Germany are Germans and USA is Americans, all those who live in > > Hindustan are known as Hindus." Mixing up Hindu with Hindutva, an > > altogether different category; he stated that "The cultural identity of > all > > Indians is Hindutva and the present inhabitants of the country are > > descendants of this great culture," To articulate the political agenda > > behind all these assertions, Goa's Co-operatives Minister Deepak > Dhavalikar > > (BJP) told the assembly that India could well be on the way of becoming a > > "Hindu nation", with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the helm. > > > > > > > > The whole rigmarole of Hindu, Hindutva, Hindu Rashtra is very deliberate > > and a part of political agenda. These three terms have to be seen in a > > historical context. The claims about Hinduism have to be seen in today's > > context. The evolution of the term Hindu has a long journey. Over a > period > > of time its usage has changed. Its use for political goals; political > > adaptation is Hindutva and Hindutva's political goal is Hindu Rashtra > > (Nation). These terminologies have been neatly packaged by the Sangh > > combine, as part of Nationalism, which they believe in. > > > > > > > > It is interesting to note that till 8th century the scriptures called as > > Hindu scriptures do not have the word Hindu in them. This word Hindu as > > such came into being with the Arabs and Middle East Muslims coming to > this > > side of the continent. They called the land on east side of Sindhu as > > Hindu. Thus the word Hindu began as a geographical category. So even > today > > in some parts of the World, especially in West Asia, India is referred to > > as Hindustan. Mr. Bhagwat is wrong to say that we are referred to as > > Hindustan all over. It is only in Saudi Arabia and West Asia, that the > word > > Hindustan is prevalent. In Saudi even today the Muslims going for Hajj > are > > referred to as Hindi and In Saudi Arabia the discipline of arithmetic in > > their language is called *Hindsa* (Coming from Hind). > > > > > > > > It was later that religious traditions prevailing in this part started > > being called as Hindu religion. The notion that there was a prevalence > of a > > Hindu culture here is a pure ideological construct. The Indus valley > > civilization had its own features distinct from the other parts. The > Aryans > > were initially a pastoral society, and then they went for settled > > agriculture and formation of Kingdoms. The native Adivasis had their own > > culture. The Brahimanical and Buddhist traditions were again very > distinct, > > the litmus test here is the belief in caste system, Brahmanism holding to > > birth based graded hierarchy and Buddhism opposing the same. The > assertion > > that a homogenous culture prevailed is a total myth. We know that culture > > is always evolving through interaction which is due to migrations and > > mobility. > > > > > > > > The term Hindutva emerges in late 19th century with the rise of communal > > politics in opposition to the nascent Indian National Movement. When > Indian > > National Congress was form in 1885, the Muslim Feudal classes and Hindu > > Feudal classes opposed it and both articulated their own communal > ideology. > > The one coming from Hindu communal stream was vaguely called Hindutva. > This > > was brought to the fore prominently by Savarkar in 1924. Savarkar also > > defined Hindu as one who regards this land as Holy land and father land, > > keeping Christians and Muslims out of the definition of Hindus. Hindutva > as > > per him is a total Hinduness, common race (Aryan) Culture (Brahminic) and > > the land spread from Sindhu to sea. He also conceptualized Hindu Rashtra, > > as the goal of Hindutva ideology. This goal of Hindu Rashtra was picked > up > > by RSS from 1925. The goal of Hindu Rashtra was opposed to the goal of > > Indian National Movement, which aimed at secular democratic India. > > > > > > > > There are also assertions that we all should call ourselves as Hindus, > > since it is a 'way of life' common to all the people living here. This > is a > > clever trick to deceive. Many a Muslim communalists similarly say that > > 'Islam is a way of life'. Religion alone is not the 'way of life'; way of > > life is much broader and includes language, local-regional cultural > > nuances, which cannot be uniform. Religion, again is not monolithic, and > is > > a part of way of life, not the other way around. The matter as to what > are > > we as a political entity had been a subject of extensive debate in the > > Constituent Assembly and the conclusion was to call this country as > "India > > that is Bharat', a religion neutral term. Today Hindu is not a > > regional-'national' identity; it is primarily a religious identity. The > > subtle trick in calling everybody Hindu is to first talk of geographical > > identity, common ancestor and then to say that since we are all Hindus, > the > > Hindu scriptures, Gita, Manusmriti are all our national books, cow is our > > National animal; we all have to worship Ram etc. > > > > > > > > This is not an innocuous step. In the beginning 'we are all Hindus, then > so > > we are a Hindu nation and then follow the dictates coming from Hindu holy > > seers or self proclaimed custodians of Hinduism. The position of > > Constitution is very clear that Hindu is a religious identity and India > is > > a national identity. Surely RSS never had anything to do with either the > > freedom movement or belief in the Indian Constitution so in pursuance of > > its agenda, in contrast to Indian Constitution, which gives us the Indian > > identity, RSS wants to impose Hindu identity. > > > > > > > > What will happen in the next step become clear from the following > > discussion which transpired in the RSS training camp, which gives us the > > inkling of the agenda of RSS in the long term. Let's see the statement of > > RSS worker Joshi, couple of decades ago, "During a question-and-answer > > session, a volunteer asked Yadavrao Joshi, then the head of Sangh workers > > across all of south India, "We say RSS is a Hindu organization. We say we > > are a Hindu nation, India belongs to Hindus. We also say in the same > breath > > that Muslims and Christians are welcome to follow their faith and that > they > > are welcome to remain as they are so long as they love this country. Why > do > > we have to give this concession? Why don't we be very clear that they > have > > no place if we are a Hindu country?" Joshi replied "As of now, RSS and > > Hindu society are not strong enough to say clearly to Muslims and > > Christians that if you want to live in India, convert to Hinduism. Either > > convert or perish. But when the Hindu society and RSS will become strong > > enough we will tell them that if you want to live in India and if you > love > > this country, you accept that some generations earlier you were Hindus > and > > come back to the Hindu fold." ( > > http://www.caravanmagazine.in/reportage/rss-30#sthash.GmBGCZLQ.dpuf ) > > > > > > > > So what Sangh Combine had been aspiring from last nine decades is being > > asserted with bigger authority with Modi Sarkar at center. What Bhagwat > of > > RSS is saying and followers are speaking on the TV debates is a clear > > violation of the values of Indian Constitution. So where are we heading > is > > a question which all the citizens have to become aware and stick to what > we > > have gained through freedom movement epitomized in our Constitution. That > > needs to be saved and protected from the sectarian motivated agenda. > > > > > > > > > > -- > > Response only to [email protected] > > > > > > > > -- > Peace Is Doable > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Green Youth Movement" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. > Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
