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A typical pseudo Hindu fake stuff peddled as sickular reading
Understand the fact before you peddle such trite
The Muslim population growth n Christian conversion is certainly a matter of concern n hindus are being reduced to minority
Drop the shit called sickularisn n identify as hindu without the fanaticism of Islam n jingoism of Christianity
Stay alert n safe
The sand under the feet is eroding
Lower caste convert yet retain hindu identity to get benefit
Initially, I thought this article is from a neutral perspective. But, NO. To some extent you did manage to paint picture of both sides in a fair way, but then again got back to typical agenda of a fake liberal.
Hinduism is definitely under danger. It wouldn’t have been in danger if Muslims didn’t produce tons of children while enjoying “minority status benefits” and if Christians didn’t run their agenda of converting hindus. There was a time when I never hated Muslims or Christians. But the way fake liberals are barking hindu terrorists even though RSS didn’t drop bombs in several countries like jihadis and didn’t invade any country like beggar Christians, their agenda is very clear to minimise and degrade hindus. We love our Sikhs and Jain because they co-exist in a real peaceful sense and don’t run any agenda like Muslims and Christians.
These same liberals cry about strict blasphemy laws, but go on mute about conversion mafia. Liberals forget to bark intolerance when jihadis riot in several cities of India.
As far as cry for casteism goes in this comment section, casteism exists in muslims, christians and dalits too. Targeting only upper caste is not going to hide casteism done by remaining Indians.
In any case, India has been portrayed in bad light by several fake news on international platforms and only hindus (whom you are tagging as pseudo-hindus) show guts to counter narrative of foreign media.
There was a time when I used to support leftists, not anymore. A true liberal doesn’t use labels like “bhakt” for debate. A true liberal knows all political parties have IT Cell, but they use this word only against BJP. I cannot give proofs how many times I supported and criticised all political parties, but in reality the hypocrisy of far left has ruined India.
There’s no such thing as hindu enemy or a hindu society. The rest of Indians who aren’t hindu or religious don’t want to be dictated by a Hindu majority how their nation should be run, they don’t want a bunch of illiterate or poorly educated dimwits trying to change things with their backward ways…if god forbid this nation becomes hindu, it will go back to the medieval times…it’s like India is competing hard to become as backward as the middle east with the gau mutra chugging, cow dung worshiping ways.
Such is ur hatred..its appalling but I thinl it is bcoz of ignorance. Even in medival times India had a decent economic system(contributed to some what 25% of world GDP) Europeans and islamic invaders came to a prosperous civilised India. If u think India was medival due to hindus then u r mistaken and have read history with a very communal (may be missionaries told u these) angle. And everybody wants development. No this country isn’t going back to medieval times. Remember the biggest voting bloc of BJP is urban populace. Stop scare mongering.
Carry on with this self loathing attitude of yours and see for yourself what a community despite being subjugated for 800 years have to bear nitwits like you will eventually do, your progressivism disgusts the majority, a billion people, 16% of the world population, the reason you’re able to regurgitate right now is the Hindu majority, Was it a Islamic one you would’ve been already taken by the local mufti.
The most eye opening funny thing happening now that after 75-years clock is turning back in time and those convertee dreaming of converting hindustan in to Islamic or Christianity will see that pok gilgistan and other parts becoming part of Hindustan thus the dream mischief of fake and treacherous leaders of hindustan in the past being undone by Lord Krishna -thus be ware of becoming kansa the devil king of Mathura before the curse of Lord Krishna reaches you.
To me it seems that “unseen nature” is testing survival of hindus as it has turned almost everyone including “fake hindus” in elimnating hindus in the name of violence-killings-culture-economically breakdown-politically allienation and annihilation of hindus throught the world and more so in india forgetting that Lord Krishna is watching and karma will take care.
Author places a disproportionately large burden at the door of secular intellectuals. There is no organization of secular intellecutuals. You can call them any name you want pseudo secular, libtard etc. But they were only expressing views. There isn’t single incidence when the secular/psedo-secular took law into his hand. They can be called only as critique of the society. To say secular commentary created the fertile ground for pseudo hindu who indulges in all violent actions is bit of a stretch of imagination.
Government of the time always have the option to heed or not to heed to liberals advice at their own peril.
Pseudo hindu have shown how dangerous they can be. But it is the alma mater which is bigger threat for the society.
Useless article, did not read. From my experience i know the likes of secular liberals doing minority appeasement along with congress is the reason for majority backlash. Otherwise BJP would not be where it is today. The likes of Arundhati n Prannoy Roy, Sagarika Ghose, Barkha Dutt etc along with Sonia Gandhi is real reason for majority backlash n resurrection of hindus in politics. Get an Abdul Kalam our peoples president, and then see that religion will fade, get that man who we all can trust, religion will not matter then. But alas Abdul kalam is no more.
You are faceless idiot , chatukar of communal RSS and Golvalkar , who wanted non Hindus to be second class citizen . Another illiterate wrote a book ditooing Golvalkar , dramatist cave man is out to destroy India , but India of Gandhi Nehru and Budhha is sarvdharma equality ,
If that is so then why both Nehru and Gandhi failed with Muslim league and failed to stop the partition
“India of Gandhi Nehru and Budhha is sarvdharma equality” What about India of Shankaracharya? What about India of chanakaya, how subtly on purpose your anti hindu face smartly decided not to mention वसुदेव कुटुंबकम because ofcourse we need to make the hindus docile
Hinduism connects one to all based on spirituality of Upanishads & other spiritual texts while pseudo-Hinduism aka Hindutva connects one to politics which by very nature is divisive.
This coward author has no guts to publish readers comments. When I had posted my previous comment, I could see 11 more comments but now only two comments are visible.
He says Hinduism is not at a peril. He also say that religion has survived for last 3000 years inspite of repeated onslought and that is the guarantee for the future.
The fact is just opposite. It is shrinking at a much faster rate than what our fake liberals and pseudo secularist want us to believe.
In undivided India in 1947 Muslim population was 25% of the total population which is nearly 40% as of now in the same geographical region. In our part of India 8% of Muslims population has now gone up to nearly 18%. Simple arithmetic will show what will happen after 50 years.
Morons like you are the real danger to Hindu society. First of all it is 15% not 18% and they are not breading like rabbits to take over the country. Population growth rate is slowing for every community and by 2050 their population will be around 18% and that population will stabilise by the time it reaches 20%. Their population growth rate is higher because of the poverty. Their socioeconomic position is even lower than the dalits. For every Owaisi don’t forget there are enough Pragya Thakur. And during 2001-2011 Muslim population grew by mere 0.8% according to the data provided by dear NaMo. So do us all a favour shut your hole for us human you educated illiterate pig
@ Tarun: Use of foul language proves that your argument is weak.
Congrats more power to u , we sarv dharm respecting Hindus must make an organisation to counter these brainless Modiites
In 1951, it was 10%, and latest census (2011) it is 14%. You minuses 2% in the beginning and added 4% at the end. Great sanki you are. You are the real enemy of Hindus.
what a waste of time reading this non-sensical idiotic rant
Just 2 comments in 10 hours. Now try writing a similar article on any of the other religions, particularly the Abrahamic ones and see the reaction. You might have to change your opinion.
53 comments now, so clearly the bhakths spam by night.
So what are you doing here? Joining the bhakt?
When you talk of Rama, better to read original Valmiki Ramayana to know his attitude towards Sita.immediately after her release from Ravanna.
In regard of so called pseudo nadala,better to know it is they who bear the brunt of Ginduria brigade and the center for standing by the rights of Adivadis,Dalita, women and minorities,unlike armchairs intellectuals
Who is buying this cock and bull?
Journalism has been disrupted by the onsalught from social media.. Click baity headlines and mass produced “opinion pieces” cannot hide from mobile cameras anymore..
In era of free communication and more social Interaction on net, role of journalism is bound to reduce.
Formal journalism will loose its impact.
Problem is that while some ethics are being followed in formal journalism, in net based social interaction ethics will be forgotten.
This is another example of continuous evolution of mankind.
The NRI crowd thinks that just because they have Green cards/Permanent residency/citizenship, they can talk any sort of trash and get away with it. The gulf countries are protesting and so are western democracies like the US. Do not think that possessing PR cards make you immune to deportation or being stripped of citizenship privileges. Even the Indian govt won’t be able to do much. The gulf crowd needs to be extra vigilant. All this so called Hindu rashtra business is just for votes. Like the vote bank politics of so called secular parties – so is this Hindu based politics of the present ruling party. It is imperative on Hindus to not let their religion be exploited like what Zia of Pakistan did so cynically.
The only solution is brutal separation of religion and politics. No govt official or elected official should be member of any organisation which has representation based on religion. That should lead to automatic disqualification for life.
Chaudhry Charan Singh asked BJP ministers to get out of RSS to remain minister in Janta govt . BJP broke the govt , not delinking from RSS a venomous organisation banned by Sardar Patel , can Modi tell us why Sardar did it , ? And shameless Modi is making biggest statue of his enemy for votes ?
How this view is different from the view of pseudo secularists and libtards?
Hindu upper castes have been waiting for this moment for decades to rule the masses for their selfish greed. The difference is now they have the political backing and their true color is on full display.
Hindu civilization is my inheritance. The author’s views are thought provoking. Those Hindus who scream polemics without doing an ounce of service to invigorate Hindu civilization on the ground and integrate the downtrodden aren’t an asset to Hinduism. It’s just talk that we can do without. The real Hindu savants are those who work on the ground, who publish, who defend the frontier, and those who serve the poor.
Having said that , the author is misplaced to assume that the pseudo-secularist and rabid anti-Hindu liberal no longer exists. Just look at Pankaj Mishra, Kapil Komireddy, Arundhati Roy, Harsh Mander, Siddhart Varadarajan and their ilk. The Anglo-Saxon media has likewise embarked on a virulent international campaign against India and Hinduism. These are the real enemies of Hinduism and the author lives in a dream world to deny that very real and well financed (read George Soros) campaign of condescension and misinformation. Shame!
As to those who argue that Hindus will no longer be a majority in “India” in 2060, they are referring to pre-partition India that includes present day Pakistan and Bangladesh. And they are not wrong there. Hindus were 75% of pre-partition “India” in 1941. They would be just 50% in 2060.
So what ? If Hindus reduce in number , what is ur problem?These RSS Hindu sanskar are don’t marry but Hindus must produce 8 children . A Hindu hardya Samrat shall desert his Vidushi practising Hindu wife . These Unmarried leaders abuse young boys , and teach us to be good Hindus , earliest we get rid of these fanatics , hate breeders , better for Bharat Mata .
Sir
One could accuse the writer of navel-gazing but that would be uncharitable. Though couched in the rhetoric of demographics, the salient issues are of a different tenor, and one which most interested persons are not articulating sufficiently well. The physical acts of violence which so depresses us are only the natural outcomes of policies and politics dreamt up by far more genial characters, venerated characters even.
In all this one sees an express lack of articulation of what should be meant by a “religion” such as polytheistic Hinduism, having to accommodate, within India, expressly iconoclastic monotheisms such as Islam and Christianity, a hatred for which the latter two are wholly unapologetic. That’s one.
All one senses in articles such as these is an attempt to somehow shame Hindus for “betraying” their “peaceful” credentials. As if that is what the Hindu God ordained in the Hindu Bible through his Hindu Son who served as a latter-day divine WhatsApp. There is nothing in “Hinduism” which holds peace ie the absence of conflict, as a virtue by and of itself. Peace, or an absence of conflict, is a desirable state yes. But maintaining a condition of peace requires effort. Even Vishnu, the maintainer, has a thousand-headed serpent serving as a hood, if only to remind the common devotee that a state of tranquility is attained only under the watchful oversight of yes, a thousand snakes. Just stating out “Hinduism” as “the religion of peace” (which not only has been misapplied to Hinduism, but also has been (mis)appropriated by a monotheism with questionable applicability) and consigning its adherents wholesale thereby as docile, defenseless and self-effacing, only to act surprised when reality hits one in the face, is indicative of either a lack of self-knowledge, self-esteem, ignorance or just plain racism of the 19th century European variety. There are stark differences between the monotheistic worldview and the polytheistic, henotheisitic, atheistic (even) view of Hinduism, and these have not been addressed adequately, except in a derogatory manner by zealous proselytizers.
India is a fully alive country with all the tumult and passions of real life; full of the conflicts, the vices, the virtues et al that mark the human experience. Their stories, legends, hopes and achievements in total make up what is called Hinduism, a term invented by missionaries who were on their soul-harvesting trips. It has joy, sorrow, peace, violence, victories, defeats and everything in between – but that is the story of the Indians. It did not need replacement by imported cultures without consent or debate. It need not have anyone lecturing it on morality, especially when the lecturers themselves have been so grossly tainted.
The saddest part of this is that the most economically deprived among the Indians – consigned to the eternal reminder of the narrative of their oppressed status by calling them “Dalits” (oppressed) have become the slaves of the religio-political turf wars, when all they are asking for, really, is dignity and full property rights.
My humble feeling is if we could survive more than 900 years of islamic rule and around 200 years Christian (British) rule, why can’t we survive now? Are we so weak? In my opinion freedom is a very noble feeling and we should be ready to give sacrifices, but unlike in the past today we want someone else to sacrifice with their lives to get the freedom they desire, hence the social media propaganda..
So awesomely well written and even argued to the point. It was a joy reading. Thank you for the write-up.
Liberals have been targeted and tarnished for their opinion pieces. They are the reason for hinduism’s renaissance that has happened in the past century and a half. Liberals if at all have only enhanced the standing of a religion or society in the world view. Starting from rajaram mohun roy till MK Gandhi, there weren’t any opposition to reforms brought in. After that it became increasingly difficult because of assertive hindu’s vicious campaigns against the hindu liberals.
I had read in a news column by MJ Akbar, in british raj when hindus were demanding english education instead of vedic studies, people of his faith wanted to learn in madrassas. This set us apart. Pseudo/assertive hindu has to thank the liberal hindu a thousand times for the changes brought about in the society. If not for the liberals, hinduism with sati, caste hierarchy, child marriage, polygamy wouldn’t be even worth defending.
For the credit of assertive hindu who is violent votary of gau raksha or showing respect to national anthem in a movie theater, what are the laurels to even talk about.
Progressiveness brought about by judiciary through sabarimala judgement got extinguished by the assertive hindu arguing even other religions would not let women to places of worship and we dont to only 1 or 2 temples. A finest moment where judiciary induced social reform has atleast been deferred or delayed. If this is keeping sanctity of hinduism, then assertive hindu has been successful.
Social evils like dowry, caste system have not completely been eliminated. Can assertive hindu fix them. BTW they dont exist in european society.
HINDU SOCIETY before the invasions of mughals and British was scientific n educated and open to ideas. After the advent of mughals scientific and educated outlook went out. While the British and later congrass education made us slaves in mind through our education being designed by sickular people who were influenced by convent education and under the garb of being libtards start teaching us how being HINDUS is communal. Sadly you are one of those who is brainwashed by libtards. Perhaps it’s too late for you.
Good to see a veteran dabbling with religion. Your effort requires a detailed response. Hope his reaches you an those who read your piece.
I am a “Hindu” – so do not belong to any religious order. I grew up in North Malabar, Kerala. My neighborhood – neighborhoods in Kerala can stretch far – was largely Muslims. My adolescent life was spent in a hostel in a public school run by the Jesuits. In many homes like mine in Kerala, the prayer room had photos / idols of many deities including those of Jesus Christ, The Buddha.. etc.. there was no representation in the pantheon of any Muslim identity as Islam did not permit graphic representation of Allah or the Prophets. But like all others Islam did find a place in our hearts.
I do not have a religion because I do not consider Hinduism is a religion. Let be briefly explain. No avatar in the Hindu traditions prescribed tenets and commandments as a must to follow in life to reach the truth or to reach out to any GOD you may want to pray to. Methods of praying was also not mandated, though all other religions we grew up with prescribed tenets and commandments. We took it in our stride as we were taught to constantly question till we find the Truth. And when we find the Truth we will know about the life we lead / led – a bit complicated and not relevant to my discussion here.
Later, during my service in the Army Guru Nanak was added to the Pantheon.
We all know that some rogue elements do not represent the larger community – whichever religion they profess to be including Hinduism, which many consider as another religion.
With such an upbringing, I fail to understand why the liberals (are they – really?) and those left of centre become sensitive reaching levels of artificial panic, when I talk of Ram, Arjun or discuss centuries old cultural practices or refer literature (or shrutis) from before a few millennia – all his while going to Church and attending Gurudwara Sahib.
I am told life can be funny; but never realized it can be so hilarious with so many intellectuals around.
A question that goes around without an answer is “Does life imitate art or is it the other way around”… a chicken and egg situation? Here is another such question “Does religion interfere with politics or is it the other way around” ?
Why should the responsibility of religious harmony lie with the politicians or the Government and not with the various prominent and powerful religious leaders (or houses) and the society at large? All the larger than life heads of all religions practiced in India should come together and proclaim that “….the way to reach GOD are many. Your way is as good as mine”. I suppose that will shut all mouths, including those of the politicians, liberals and those you term as pseudo Hindus.
If you were to consider a translation of the Arabic call to prayer in full, I would be interested to know your opinion. Hint: it is the direct opposite of what you stood for here.
Thanks Krishnan for the response.
I know. I took it / take it in my stride. Hence I say that ALL religions practiced in India, should acknowledge that MY WAY IS NOT THE HIGHWAY.
I do not want to be more explicit that this. In the culture I grew up in, ALL paths were same – there were no highways…
Col, not all groups of people have the same privileges and feeling of security that you might have. It is easier for a cultured person to profess respect for various traditions. Some people on the bottom rung whether Hindu, Muslim or other have high levels of anxiety about what the other tribe is doing and how it might affect them. If you were running a shop in Gujarat around 2002 or earlier you too would not find it easy to practise your benign outlook on life. You would be drawn into a narrow identity by others, in your case Hindu, even if you do not choose it.
And being outnumbered, it is more often Muslims or Christians who feel threatened. They know the rules can change, some fascist can come into power and destroy any harmony that existed. You would have to be a demograpic minority elsewhere to really experience that.
Also bear in mind that people like Yogi Adityanath, Amit Shah and others are not practising the same spirit of Hinduism that you do.
Hindus won’t be minority by 2050 but will be many steps further towards being minority. You should also present the estimate– what will be the population of Muslims till 2050. They have already grown around 18% from 9% in 1947.Why should Hindus lose and cede ground to the Muslims? No secular and liberal intellectuals ever confront these questions. Hope you will respond.
A very well written article. it truly describes the current situation what has led it. There is no difference between religious fanatics secular fanatics. Both are pysdio. No religion teaches us hate. Then how come religion is cause of so much violence for last 2000 years. This all due to the fanaticism. Similarly how so called secularists while condemning the use of religion by one community can ignore the same by other similar deed.
Islam does certainly teach to hate the Kafirs. So how can you say that no religion teaches hate?
All religions except Islam can coexist. It’s Islam who is destroying the peace world wide.
Nope. Christianity too cannot
“The Charavakas, a sceptical and materialistic school of philosophy founded by Brihaspati around 600 BCE, which rejected the Vedic rituals and prevailing belief systems, were absorbed by Hinduism like a giant boa constrictor leaving no trace of them after a few hundred years. ”
” It also spawned great religions — Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism — and allowed them to coexist and spread.”
Allowed to Buddhism to spread? Many Buddhist temples are now Hindu temples.
And the reason Charavakas didn’t thrive is very likely because India and Hindus rejected JNANA a long time ago and made Bhakti all important. And that is the biggest problem with Indians and Hinduism. No logic, mindless adherence to rituals and traditions even if it does not improve social conditions!
Hinduism is a backward, failed religion. Look at what Aurobindo, Krishnamurti and enlightened people like them have said about the way forward. Even Shankara and Ramana Maharshi are a horrible influence for this samadhi-escapism obsessed, socially backward hellhole.
Typical anti-Hindu rant based on misinformation that only proves that the author is wrong
And many Hindu temples are Buddhist temples too – what’s your point sir?
If worship and veneration of one’s ancestors makes for a failed religion, then count me a failed religionist anyway. Way better, than an invisible “god” who does nothing to make life better while alive but promises hell after I am dead for not “believing” in the miracles of his fax machines sent to earth.
You missed the point brother, I don’t agree with your views however going by your belief. Every religion is failed. If you find faults in Hinduism which to an extent are true but same can be said about other religions as well. Please dont level me as leftist because I am someone who would never endorse any form of extremes rather I believe there should be acceptance for every belief and faiths. Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, skhism, Buddhism, Aestheticism or non believers I think all can co exist without encroaching others space.
This article is nothing but outcome of gulf money to strengthen Islamism within India. The writer is not an honest person.
The author himself is a pseudo Hindu as all pseudo Hindus claim to be great Hindus. He talks about Hinduism but gives quotes from English authors as most pseudo Hindus do because they are only taught English literature. He talks about 2000 years of Hinduism but have no courage to say that when concepts of Hinduism like ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ were evolved there was no Islam or Christianity. Hindus of ancient time had not faced the violence unleashed by Christianity and Islam. Therefore, quoting ancient Hindu traditions in todays time is not relevant. Let me also say that not by 2050 but by 2150, Muslims will impose Islam on India and this time it will be the end of Hinduism as Hindus have no capability to defeat Islam.
Great article! We need to let the “boa constrictor of love” engulf the Hindus who spew hate, but also -with equal conviction – the Islamists who spew hate. India did this naturally, e.g., through the universal spread of Sufism over centuries, but Salafi hatred funded by oil, has destroyed this movement. I think this is important to recognise, as only a universal approach to the problem that addresses the hatred in different communities – not just one – will have any chance of success.
Sanatan Dharm(Hinduism) has barely survived the 3000 years of onslaught. It was wide spread but now it is confined to India. You have very correctly pointed out if these intellectuals wouldn’t have been selective, then there would not be any need to write this article.
Very interesting, thought provoking and timely article.
Hinduism refers to widely diverse and all absorbing spiritual philosophies and thoughts and can not be defined by a specified set of rules like a club charter and its membership with certain dos and don’t dos. In its political dimensions, it is more of ”your duty and behavior as per given law’ kind and in social dimension, the society evolved over the years with many deep rooted problems.
Hence, it suffers badly when compared to other standard religions in terms of lack of a book, proselytizing and political thoughts and organizations. Come Britishers and later the idea of a secular state with minority rights along with vote bank politics, any political party on a so called Hindu political platform was bound to suffer as a so called Hindu voter does not vote based on his so called religion but on other considerations but others vote based mainly on religious considerations.
Given this background , the time has to come to formalize what is Hindu religions for political and social purpose (leaving in tact its spiritual and philosophical aspects) and define its terms. Once proselytization and casteless society are accepted as its norm, then it would get on equal terms with other religions. The it would be easy to deal with this dangerous tribe of sickulars or pseudo Hindus.
To the contrary of your point, if minority privileges were the keys to material improvement in terms of receiving benefits from a welfare state (as has happened in India), wouldn’t it have been better to undo the tag “Hinduism” and disperse Indians to their various caste communities? Since Islam and Christianity do not brook caste (as per their stated policies), then clearly the “non-Muslims” and “non-Christians” of India would have stood to benefit in an environment where it pays to be a religious “minority”. It is the tag of “majority community” in a minoritarian environment which has been the bugbear of the various adherents of traditional Indian religious practices, constraining them in their freedoms on the one hand, and then siloing them side by side with the monotheisms such as Islam and Christianity. It is in this respect that, for instance in Karnataka, that the Lingayat petition to recognize them as a minority religion makes sense.
In such an environment, as the largest and second-largest monolithic religious groups in India, it would be unlikely if the Muslims or Christians would have capitalized so much on the minoritarian politics which have become the mantra of the state for so long. It just seems as if the “Hindus” have called themselves a disservice by calling themselves “Hindu”. It just made the task of the iconoclasts that much easier.
What you are saying is that instead of treating Hindu as one religious community (in fact, it is culturally one but differs by religious practices) , we should have treated each sect or group within it as a separate religious minority and then entire country would have been a country of minorities with proportional representation and rights! One would rather go for defining minority as something really minority like up to 5% , if at all you need to define it.
Pursuit of power is always vicious and without scruples. How this will end is anybody’s guess. Of course history gives some insight.
Mr. Gopinath, would you like to share your views on those upright gentlemen who were brazenly flouting Govt guidelines, spitting on doctors, sexually harassing nurses and misbehaving with female medical personnel in quarantine?
How about an article on those fine young gentlemen who rioting (sorry, I actually meant peacefully protesting) in Delhi? Will you write about that wonderful budding model, who liked fast bikes & who brandished a pistol in a policeman’s face? What is your opinion on those fine ladies who blocked a major road in Delhi?
Please enlighten us.
There is much to be admired in this composition . The analysis of ‘Pseudo Secular’ and ‘libtard’ is bang on. His implied assertion that some persons (mostly on social media) are hateful in their pronouncements, is also accepted. Agree that the society at large must avoid hateful communalism.
However, Capt. Gopinath has his own concept of how a Hindu should be. Of course, he is entitled to his opinion . An individual’s concept of a ‘Hindu’ is largely formed by the early childhood education, study and reflection on the text (books, lectures. discourses and discussions) as an adult, lifetime experiences and observations of other’s practising diverse beliefs and dogma.
There is nothing like “Hinduism” in the sense that no specification of and ‘Do’ and “Don’t” exist. There is a broad spectrum of beliefs, even contradictory, that are embraced by the large Hindu fraternity. Therefore, the concept of threats to ‘Hinduism’ and warriors trying to save it is ridiculous endevour in itself
The message that ‘all the world is one family’ is well and good and should be kept in mind . However, it does not imply that one becomes passive and allow others to take advantage of you and considering you as a stupid fool.
Remember even RAMA , embodiment of all virtues did not hesitate to kill Ravana and destroy his evil empire !
The path to the rise of pseudo Hindus was paved by the secular, the left and the liberals, who ruled not only the country but also controlled the economic discourse and the social narrative. If one looks back, the pandering to clerics and mullahs, while leaving common Muslims to suffer and vote, abandonment of ideals of progressive state, failure to promote modicum of nationalism and scientific tempers in Madrasas, allowing all manner of ashrams and babas to proliferate, rampant corruption, broken law enforcement and judicial system and so on, were all the handiwork of those entrusted with building a rational and progressive nation. People of India finally got fed up and voted for change, even if it brings the pseudo Hindus to power.
Capt.Gopinath has waded into unfamiliar waters. Anyway, I merely intend to point out that “Universal Man” or Vishwa Manava he quotes from Kannada Poet Kuvempu is nonsensical. Kuvempu was a confused soul. Sometimes, he wrote like a rationalist. At other times, he was full of adulation for Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and Swami Vivekananda. All of us belong to one particular country. Does it make sense to say that I belong to the world? In India, matter is complicated by regional, linguistic and caste identities.
“All of us belong to one particular country. Does it make sense to say that I belong to the world?”
Yes it is, the idea of Cosmopolitan was well established in the ancient Greek world. Petty Hindu sentimentality has no need for such worldly considerations even as some hypocritically chant ‘Vasudeva Kudambakkom’.
Which Ancient Greek civilization was completely and utterly ruined by the early Christians – the latter whom even went far to cover up reasoned Greek critiques of the new iconoclastic faith springing out from the Jewish wastelands. It is testament which the Ancient Greeks had for their culture that tourists flock to this day to Greece not to view the Orthodox churches which supplanted the Ancient Greek religion but the ruins from the Ancient Greek period.
We were talking about the subject of universalism of which Greece is an example.
It was not about Greece and who destroyed its ancient culture.
Bhakths use no logic, so flitting from their favourite topic to another is the only mental habit they are capable of.
The author has pick and chosen, like the lutyens and libtards generalizing the attack on minorities. It is these libtards and lutyens lawyers in cohorts with NGOs of guf who pay them hefty fees, take up isolated incidents and broadcast them in bbcnytwsj. It is these guys who are a threat.
A typical pseudo Hindu fake stuff peddled as sickular reading
Understand the fact before you peddle such trite
The Muslim population growth n Christian conversion is certainly a matter of concern n hindus are being reduced to minority
Drop the shit called sickularisn n identify as hindu without the fanaticism of Islam n jingoism of Christianity
Stay alert n safe
The sand under the feet is eroding
Lower caste convert yet retain hindu identity to get benefit
Initially, I thought this article is from a neutral perspective. But, NO. To some extent you did manage to paint picture of both sides in a fair way, but then again got back to typical agenda of a fake liberal.
Hinduism is definitely under danger. It wouldn’t have been in danger if Muslims didn’t produce tons of children while enjoying “minority status benefits” and if Christians didn’t run their agenda of converting hindus. There was a time when I never hated Muslims or Christians. But the way fake liberals are barking hindu terrorists even though RSS didn’t drop bombs in several countries like jihadis and didn’t invade any country like beggar Christians, their agenda is very clear to minimise and degrade hindus. We love our Sikhs and Jain because they co-exist in a real peaceful sense and don’t run any agenda like Muslims and Christians.
These same liberals cry about strict blasphemy laws, but go on mute about conversion mafia. Liberals forget to bark intolerance when jihadis riot in several cities of India.
As far as cry for casteism goes in this comment section, casteism exists in muslims, christians and dalits too. Targeting only upper caste is not going to hide casteism done by remaining Indians.
In any case, India has been portrayed in bad light by several fake news on international platforms and only hindus (whom you are tagging as pseudo-hindus) show guts to counter narrative of foreign media.
There was a time when I used to support leftists, not anymore. A true liberal doesn’t use labels like “bhakt” for debate. A true liberal knows all political parties have IT Cell, but they use this word only against BJP. I cannot give proofs how many times I supported and criticised all political parties, but in reality the hypocrisy of far left has ruined India.
Story without any research .
There’s no such thing as hindu enemy or a hindu society. The rest of Indians who aren’t hindu or religious don’t want to be dictated by a Hindu majority how their nation should be run, they don’t want a bunch of illiterate or poorly educated dimwits trying to change things with their backward ways…if god forbid this nation becomes hindu, it will go back to the medieval times…it’s like India is competing hard to become as backward as the middle east with the gau mutra chugging, cow dung worshiping ways.
Such is ur hatred..its appalling but I thinl it is bcoz of ignorance. Even in medival times India had a decent economic system(contributed to some what 25% of world GDP) Europeans and islamic invaders came to a prosperous civilised India. If u think India was medival due to hindus then u r mistaken and have read history with a very communal (may be missionaries told u these) angle. And everybody wants development. No this country isn’t going back to medieval times. Remember the biggest voting bloc of BJP is urban populace. Stop scare mongering.
Carry on with this self loathing attitude of yours and see for yourself what a community despite being subjugated for 800 years have to bear nitwits like you will eventually do, your progressivism disgusts the majority, a billion people, 16% of the world population, the reason you’re able to regurgitate right now is the Hindu majority, Was it a Islamic one you would’ve been already taken by the local mufti.
The most eye opening funny thing happening now that after 75-years clock is turning back in time and those convertee dreaming of converting hindustan in to Islamic or Christianity will see that pok gilgistan and other parts becoming part of Hindustan thus the dream mischief of fake and treacherous leaders of hindustan in the past being undone by Lord Krishna -thus be ware of becoming kansa the devil king of Mathura before the curse of Lord Krishna reaches you.
To me it seems that “unseen nature” is testing survival of hindus as it has turned almost everyone including “fake hindus” in elimnating hindus in the name of violence-killings-culture-economically breakdown-politically allienation and annihilation of hindus throught the world and more so in india forgetting that Lord Krishna is watching and karma will take care.
Author places a disproportionately large burden at the door of secular intellectuals. There is no organization of secular intellecutuals. You can call them any name you want pseudo secular, libtard etc. But they were only expressing views. There isn’t single incidence when the secular/psedo-secular took law into his hand. They can be called only as critique of the society. To say secular commentary created the fertile ground for pseudo hindu who indulges in all violent actions is bit of a stretch of imagination.
Government of the time always have the option to heed or not to heed to liberals advice at their own peril.
Pseudo hindu have shown how dangerous they can be. But it is the alma mater which is bigger threat for the society.
Useless article, did not read. From my experience i know the likes of secular liberals doing minority appeasement along with congress is the reason for majority backlash. Otherwise BJP would not be where it is today. The likes of Arundhati n Prannoy Roy, Sagarika Ghose, Barkha Dutt etc along with Sonia Gandhi is real reason for majority backlash n resurrection of hindus in politics. Get an Abdul Kalam our peoples president, and then see that religion will fade, get that man who we all can trust, religion will not matter then. But alas Abdul kalam is no more.
You are faceless idiot , chatukar of communal RSS and Golvalkar , who wanted non Hindus to be second class citizen . Another illiterate wrote a book ditooing Golvalkar , dramatist cave man is out to destroy India , but India of Gandhi Nehru and Budhha is sarvdharma equality ,
If that is so then why both Nehru and Gandhi failed with Muslim league and failed to stop the partition
“India of Gandhi Nehru and Budhha is sarvdharma equality” What about India of Shankaracharya? What about India of chanakaya, how subtly on purpose your anti hindu face smartly decided not to mention वसुदेव कुटुंबकम because ofcourse we need to make the hindus docile
Hinduism connects one to all based on spirituality of Upanishads & other spiritual texts while pseudo-Hinduism aka Hindutva connects one to politics which by very nature is divisive.
This coward author has no guts to publish readers comments. When I had posted my previous comment, I could see 11 more comments but now only two comments are visible.
He says Hinduism is not at a peril. He also say that religion has survived for last 3000 years inspite of repeated onslought and that is the guarantee for the future.
The fact is just opposite. It is shrinking at a much faster rate than what our fake liberals and pseudo secularist want us to believe.
In undivided India in 1947 Muslim population was 25% of the total population which is nearly 40% as of now in the same geographical region. In our part of India 8% of Muslims population has now gone up to nearly 18%. Simple arithmetic will show what will happen after 50 years.
Morons like you are the real danger to Hindu society. First of all it is 15% not 18% and they are not breading like rabbits to take over the country. Population growth rate is slowing for every community and by 2050 their population will be around 18% and that population will stabilise by the time it reaches 20%. Their population growth rate is higher because of the poverty. Their socioeconomic position is even lower than the dalits. For every Owaisi don’t forget there are enough Pragya Thakur. And during 2001-2011 Muslim population grew by mere 0.8% according to the data provided by dear NaMo. So do us all a favour shut your hole for us human you educated illiterate pig
@ Tarun: Use of foul language proves that your argument is weak.
Congrats more power to u , we sarv dharm respecting Hindus must make an organisation to counter these brainless Modiites
In 1951, it was 10%, and latest census (2011) it is 14%. You minuses 2% in the beginning and added 4% at the end. Great sanki you are. You are the real enemy of Hindus.
what a waste of time reading this non-sensical idiotic rant
Just 2 comments in 10 hours. Now try writing a similar article on any of the other religions, particularly the Abrahamic ones and see the reaction. You might have to change your opinion.
53 comments now, so clearly the bhakths spam by night.
So what are you doing here? Joining the bhakt?
When you talk of Rama, better to read original Valmiki Ramayana to know his attitude towards Sita.immediately after her release from Ravanna.
In regard of so called pseudo nadala,better to know it is they who bear the brunt of Ginduria brigade and the center for standing by the rights of Adivadis,Dalita, women and minorities,unlike armchairs intellectuals
Who is buying this cock and bull?
Journalism has been disrupted by the onsalught from social media.. Click baity headlines and mass produced “opinion pieces” cannot hide from mobile cameras anymore..
In era of free communication and more social Interaction on net, role of journalism is bound to reduce.
Formal journalism will loose its impact.
Problem is that while some ethics are being followed in formal journalism, in net based social interaction ethics will be forgotten.
This is another example of continuous evolution of mankind.
The NRI crowd thinks that just because they have Green cards/Permanent residency/citizenship, they can talk any sort of trash and get away with it. The gulf countries are protesting and so are western democracies like the US. Do not think that possessing PR cards make you immune to deportation or being stripped of citizenship privileges. Even the Indian govt won’t be able to do much. The gulf crowd needs to be extra vigilant. All this so called Hindu rashtra business is just for votes. Like the vote bank politics of so called secular parties – so is this Hindu based politics of the present ruling party. It is imperative on Hindus to not let their religion be exploited like what Zia of Pakistan did so cynically.
The only solution is brutal separation of religion and politics. No govt official or elected official should be member of any organisation which has representation based on religion. That should lead to automatic disqualification for life.
Great….
Chaudhry Charan Singh asked BJP ministers to get out of RSS to remain minister in Janta govt . BJP broke the govt , not delinking from RSS a venomous organisation banned by Sardar Patel , can Modi tell us why Sardar did it , ? And shameless Modi is making biggest statue of his enemy for votes ?
How this view is different from the view of pseudo secularists and libtards?
Hindu upper castes have been waiting for this moment for decades to rule the masses for their selfish greed. The difference is now they have the political backing and their true color is on full display.
Hindu civilization is my inheritance. The author’s views are thought provoking. Those Hindus who scream polemics without doing an ounce of service to invigorate Hindu civilization on the ground and integrate the downtrodden aren’t an asset to Hinduism. It’s just talk that we can do without. The real Hindu savants are those who work on the ground, who publish, who defend the frontier, and those who serve the poor.
Having said that , the author is misplaced to assume that the pseudo-secularist and rabid anti-Hindu liberal no longer exists. Just look at Pankaj Mishra, Kapil Komireddy, Arundhati Roy, Harsh Mander, Siddhart Varadarajan and their ilk. The Anglo-Saxon media has likewise embarked on a virulent international campaign against India and Hinduism. These are the real enemies of Hinduism and the author lives in a dream world to deny that very real and well financed (read George Soros) campaign of condescension and misinformation. Shame!
As to those who argue that Hindus will no longer be a majority in “India” in 2060, they are referring to pre-partition India that includes present day Pakistan and Bangladesh. And they are not wrong there. Hindus were 75% of pre-partition “India” in 1941. They would be just 50% in 2060.
So what ? If Hindus reduce in number , what is ur problem?These RSS Hindu sanskar are don’t marry but Hindus must produce 8 children . A Hindu hardya Samrat shall desert his Vidushi practising Hindu wife . These Unmarried leaders abuse young boys , and teach us to be good Hindus , earliest we get rid of these fanatics , hate breeders , better for Bharat Mata .
Sir
One could accuse the writer of navel-gazing but that would be uncharitable. Though couched in the rhetoric of demographics, the salient issues are of a different tenor, and one which most interested persons are not articulating sufficiently well. The physical acts of violence which so depresses us are only the natural outcomes of policies and politics dreamt up by far more genial characters, venerated characters even.
In all this one sees an express lack of articulation of what should be meant by a “religion” such as polytheistic Hinduism, having to accommodate, within India, expressly iconoclastic monotheisms such as Islam and Christianity, a hatred for which the latter two are wholly unapologetic. That’s one.
All one senses in articles such as these is an attempt to somehow shame Hindus for “betraying” their “peaceful” credentials. As if that is what the Hindu God ordained in the Hindu Bible through his Hindu Son who served as a latter-day divine WhatsApp. There is nothing in “Hinduism” which holds peace ie the absence of conflict, as a virtue by and of itself. Peace, or an absence of conflict, is a desirable state yes. But maintaining a condition of peace requires effort. Even Vishnu, the maintainer, has a thousand-headed serpent serving as a hood, if only to remind the common devotee that a state of tranquility is attained only under the watchful oversight of yes, a thousand snakes. Just stating out “Hinduism” as “the religion of peace” (which not only has been misapplied to Hinduism, but also has been (mis)appropriated by a monotheism with questionable applicability) and consigning its adherents wholesale thereby as docile, defenseless and self-effacing, only to act surprised when reality hits one in the face, is indicative of either a lack of self-knowledge, self-esteem, ignorance or just plain racism of the 19th century European variety. There are stark differences between the monotheistic worldview and the polytheistic, henotheisitic, atheistic (even) view of Hinduism, and these have not been addressed adequately, except in a derogatory manner by zealous proselytizers.
India is a fully alive country with all the tumult and passions of real life; full of the conflicts, the vices, the virtues et al that mark the human experience. Their stories, legends, hopes and achievements in total make up what is called Hinduism, a term invented by missionaries who were on their soul-harvesting trips. It has joy, sorrow, peace, violence, victories, defeats and everything in between – but that is the story of the Indians. It did not need replacement by imported cultures without consent or debate. It need not have anyone lecturing it on morality, especially when the lecturers themselves have been so grossly tainted.
The saddest part of this is that the most economically deprived among the Indians – consigned to the eternal reminder of the narrative of their oppressed status by calling them “Dalits” (oppressed) have become the slaves of the religio-political turf wars, when all they are asking for, really, is dignity and full property rights.
Very well written
My humble feeling is if we could survive more than 900 years of islamic rule and around 200 years Christian (British) rule, why can’t we survive now? Are we so weak? In my opinion freedom is a very noble feeling and we should be ready to give sacrifices, but unlike in the past today we want someone else to sacrifice with their lives to get the freedom they desire, hence the social media propaganda..
So awesomely well written and even argued to the point. It was a joy reading. Thank you for the write-up.
Liberals have been targeted and tarnished for their opinion pieces. They are the reason for hinduism’s renaissance that has happened in the past century and a half. Liberals if at all have only enhanced the standing of a religion or society in the world view. Starting from rajaram mohun roy till MK Gandhi, there weren’t any opposition to reforms brought in. After that it became increasingly difficult because of assertive hindu’s vicious campaigns against the hindu liberals.
I had read in a news column by MJ Akbar, in british raj when hindus were demanding english education instead of vedic studies, people of his faith wanted to learn in madrassas. This set us apart. Pseudo/assertive hindu has to thank the liberal hindu a thousand times for the changes brought about in the society. If not for the liberals, hinduism with sati, caste hierarchy, child marriage, polygamy wouldn’t be even worth defending.
For the credit of assertive hindu who is violent votary of gau raksha or showing respect to national anthem in a movie theater, what are the laurels to even talk about.
Progressiveness brought about by judiciary through sabarimala judgement got extinguished by the assertive hindu arguing even other religions would not let women to places of worship and we dont to only 1 or 2 temples. A finest moment where judiciary induced social reform has atleast been deferred or delayed. If this is keeping sanctity of hinduism, then assertive hindu has been successful.
Social evils like dowry, caste system have not completely been eliminated. Can assertive hindu fix them. BTW they dont exist in european society.
HINDU SOCIETY before the invasions of mughals and British was scientific n educated and open to ideas. After the advent of mughals scientific and educated outlook went out. While the British and later congrass education made us slaves in mind through our education being designed by sickular people who were influenced by convent education and under the garb of being libtards start teaching us how being HINDUS is communal. Sadly you are one of those who is brainwashed by libtards. Perhaps it’s too late for you.
Yes, I am Hindu and I completely agree with you, sir. Hinduism is now in more danger from these mob Hindus.
Dear Captain,
Good to see a veteran dabbling with religion. Your effort requires a detailed response. Hope his reaches you an those who read your piece.
I am a “Hindu” – so do not belong to any religious order. I grew up in North Malabar, Kerala. My neighborhood – neighborhoods in Kerala can stretch far – was largely Muslims. My adolescent life was spent in a hostel in a public school run by the Jesuits. In many homes like mine in Kerala, the prayer room had photos / idols of many deities including those of Jesus Christ, The Buddha.. etc.. there was no representation in the pantheon of any Muslim identity as Islam did not permit graphic representation of Allah or the Prophets. But like all others Islam did find a place in our hearts.
I do not have a religion because I do not consider Hinduism is a religion. Let be briefly explain. No avatar in the Hindu traditions prescribed tenets and commandments as a must to follow in life to reach the truth or to reach out to any GOD you may want to pray to. Methods of praying was also not mandated, though all other religions we grew up with prescribed tenets and commandments. We took it in our stride as we were taught to constantly question till we find the Truth. And when we find the Truth we will know about the life we lead / led – a bit complicated and not relevant to my discussion here.
Later, during my service in the Army Guru Nanak was added to the Pantheon.
We all know that some rogue elements do not represent the larger community – whichever religion they profess to be including Hinduism, which many consider as another religion.
With such an upbringing, I fail to understand why the liberals (are they – really?) and those left of centre become sensitive reaching levels of artificial panic, when I talk of Ram, Arjun or discuss centuries old cultural practices or refer literature (or shrutis) from before a few millennia – all his while going to Church and attending Gurudwara Sahib.
I am told life can be funny; but never realized it can be so hilarious with so many intellectuals around.
A question that goes around without an answer is “Does life imitate art or is it the other way around”… a chicken and egg situation? Here is another such question “Does religion interfere with politics or is it the other way around” ?
Why should the responsibility of religious harmony lie with the politicians or the Government and not with the various prominent and powerful religious leaders (or houses) and the society at large? All the larger than life heads of all religions practiced in India should come together and proclaim that “….the way to reach GOD are many. Your way is as good as mine”. I suppose that will shut all mouths, including those of the politicians, liberals and those you term as pseudo Hindus.
Get the point?
Regards
Colonel
If you were to consider a translation of the Arabic call to prayer in full, I would be interested to know your opinion. Hint: it is the direct opposite of what you stood for here.
Thanks Krishnan for the response.
I know. I took it / take it in my stride. Hence I say that ALL religions practiced in India, should acknowledge that MY WAY IS NOT THE HIGHWAY.
I do not want to be more explicit that this. In the culture I grew up in, ALL paths were same – there were no highways…
Col, not all groups of people have the same privileges and feeling of security that you might have. It is easier for a cultured person to profess respect for various traditions. Some people on the bottom rung whether Hindu, Muslim or other have high levels of anxiety about what the other tribe is doing and how it might affect them. If you were running a shop in Gujarat around 2002 or earlier you too would not find it easy to practise your benign outlook on life. You would be drawn into a narrow identity by others, in your case Hindu, even if you do not choose it.
And being outnumbered, it is more often Muslims or Christians who feel threatened. They know the rules can change, some fascist can come into power and destroy any harmony that existed. You would have to be a demograpic minority elsewhere to really experience that.
Also bear in mind that people like Yogi Adityanath, Amit Shah and others are not practising the same spirit of Hinduism that you do.
Hindus won’t be minority by 2050 but will be many steps further towards being minority. You should also present the estimate– what will be the population of Muslims till 2050. They have already grown around 18% from 9% in 1947.Why should Hindus lose and cede ground to the Muslims? No secular and liberal intellectuals ever confront these questions. Hope you will respond.
This is another article which has hatred to hindus nothing else, packaged differently. Only verbose.
A very well written article. it truly describes the current situation what has led it. There is no difference between religious fanatics secular fanatics. Both are pysdio. No religion teaches us hate. Then how come religion is cause of so much violence for last 2000 years. This all due to the fanaticism. Similarly how so called secularists while condemning the use of religion by one community can ignore the same by other similar deed.
Islam does certainly teach to hate the Kafirs. So how can you say that no religion teaches hate?
All religions except Islam can coexist. It’s Islam who is destroying the peace world wide.
Nope. Christianity too cannot
“The Charavakas, a sceptical and materialistic school of philosophy founded by Brihaspati around 600 BCE, which rejected the Vedic rituals and prevailing belief systems, were absorbed by Hinduism like a giant boa constrictor leaving no trace of them after a few hundred years. ”
” It also spawned great religions — Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism — and allowed them to coexist and spread.”
Allowed to Buddhism to spread? Many Buddhist temples are now Hindu temples.
And the reason Charavakas didn’t thrive is very likely because India and Hindus rejected JNANA a long time ago and made Bhakti all important. And that is the biggest problem with Indians and Hinduism. No logic, mindless adherence to rituals and traditions even if it does not improve social conditions!
Hinduism is a backward, failed religion. Look at what Aurobindo, Krishnamurti and enlightened people like them have said about the way forward. Even Shankara and Ramana Maharshi are a horrible influence for this samadhi-escapism obsessed, socially backward hellhole.
Typical anti-Hindu rant based on misinformation that only proves that the author is wrong
And many Hindu temples are Buddhist temples too – what’s your point sir?
If worship and veneration of one’s ancestors makes for a failed religion, then count me a failed religionist anyway. Way better, than an invisible “god” who does nothing to make life better while alive but promises hell after I am dead for not “believing” in the miracles of his fax machines sent to earth.
You missed the point brother, I don’t agree with your views however going by your belief. Every religion is failed. If you find faults in Hinduism which to an extent are true but same can be said about other religions as well. Please dont level me as leftist because I am someone who would never endorse any form of extremes rather I believe there should be acceptance for every belief and faiths. Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, skhism, Buddhism, Aestheticism or non believers I think all can co exist without encroaching others space.
This article is nothing but outcome of gulf money to strengthen Islamism within India. The writer is not an honest person.
The author himself is a pseudo Hindu as all pseudo Hindus claim to be great Hindus. He talks about Hinduism but gives quotes from English authors as most pseudo Hindus do because they are only taught English literature. He talks about 2000 years of Hinduism but have no courage to say that when concepts of Hinduism like ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ were evolved there was no Islam or Christianity. Hindus of ancient time had not faced the violence unleashed by Christianity and Islam. Therefore, quoting ancient Hindu traditions in todays time is not relevant. Let me also say that not by 2050 but by 2150, Muslims will impose Islam on India and this time it will be the end of Hinduism as Hindus have no capability to defeat Islam.
Great article! We need to let the “boa constrictor of love” engulf the Hindus who spew hate, but also -with equal conviction – the Islamists who spew hate. India did this naturally, e.g., through the universal spread of Sufism over centuries, but Salafi hatred funded by oil, has destroyed this movement. I think this is important to recognise, as only a universal approach to the problem that addresses the hatred in different communities – not just one – will have any chance of success.
Sanatan Dharm(Hinduism) has barely survived the 3000 years of onslaught. It was wide spread but now it is confined to India. You have very correctly pointed out if these intellectuals wouldn’t have been selective, then there would not be any need to write this article.
Very interesting, thought provoking and timely article.
Hinduism refers to widely diverse and all absorbing spiritual philosophies and thoughts and can not be defined by a specified set of rules like a club charter and its membership with certain dos and don’t dos. In its political dimensions, it is more of ”your duty and behavior as per given law’ kind and in social dimension, the society evolved over the years with many deep rooted problems.
Hence, it suffers badly when compared to other standard religions in terms of lack of a book, proselytizing and political thoughts and organizations. Come Britishers and later the idea of a secular state with minority rights along with vote bank politics, any political party on a so called Hindu political platform was bound to suffer as a so called Hindu voter does not vote based on his so called religion but on other considerations but others vote based mainly on religious considerations.
Given this background , the time has to come to formalize what is Hindu religions for political and social purpose (leaving in tact its spiritual and philosophical aspects) and define its terms. Once proselytization and casteless society are accepted as its norm, then it would get on equal terms with other religions. The it would be easy to deal with this dangerous tribe of sickulars or pseudo Hindus.
To the contrary of your point, if minority privileges were the keys to material improvement in terms of receiving benefits from a welfare state (as has happened in India), wouldn’t it have been better to undo the tag “Hinduism” and disperse Indians to their various caste communities? Since Islam and Christianity do not brook caste (as per their stated policies), then clearly the “non-Muslims” and “non-Christians” of India would have stood to benefit in an environment where it pays to be a religious “minority”. It is the tag of “majority community” in a minoritarian environment which has been the bugbear of the various adherents of traditional Indian religious practices, constraining them in their freedoms on the one hand, and then siloing them side by side with the monotheisms such as Islam and Christianity. It is in this respect that, for instance in Karnataka, that the Lingayat petition to recognize them as a minority religion makes sense.
In such an environment, as the largest and second-largest monolithic religious groups in India, it would be unlikely if the Muslims or Christians would have capitalized so much on the minoritarian politics which have become the mantra of the state for so long. It just seems as if the “Hindus” have called themselves a disservice by calling themselves “Hindu”. It just made the task of the iconoclasts that much easier.
What you are saying is that instead of treating Hindu as one religious community (in fact, it is culturally one but differs by religious practices) , we should have treated each sect or group within it as a separate religious minority and then entire country would have been a country of minorities with proportional representation and rights! One would rather go for defining minority as something really minority like up to 5% , if at all you need to define it.
Pursuit of power is always vicious and without scruples. How this will end is anybody’s guess. Of course history gives some insight.
Mr. Gopinath, would you like to share your views on those upright gentlemen who were brazenly flouting Govt guidelines, spitting on doctors, sexually harassing nurses and misbehaving with female medical personnel in quarantine?
How about an article on those fine young gentlemen who rioting (sorry, I actually meant peacefully protesting) in Delhi? Will you write about that wonderful budding model, who liked fast bikes & who brandished a pistol in a policeman’s face? What is your opinion on those fine ladies who blocked a major road in Delhi?
Please enlighten us.
There is much to be admired in this composition . The analysis of ‘Pseudo Secular’ and ‘libtard’ is bang on. His implied assertion that some persons (mostly on social media) are hateful in their pronouncements, is also accepted. Agree that the society at large must avoid hateful communalism.
However, Capt. Gopinath has his own concept of how a Hindu should be. Of course, he is entitled to his opinion . An individual’s concept of a ‘Hindu’ is largely formed by the early childhood education, study and reflection on the text (books, lectures. discourses and discussions) as an adult, lifetime experiences and observations of other’s practising diverse beliefs and dogma.
There is nothing like “Hinduism” in the sense that no specification of and ‘Do’ and “Don’t” exist. There is a broad spectrum of beliefs, even contradictory, that are embraced by the large Hindu fraternity. Therefore, the concept of threats to ‘Hinduism’ and warriors trying to save it is ridiculous endevour in itself
The message that ‘all the world is one family’ is well and good and should be kept in mind . However, it does not imply that one becomes passive and allow others to take advantage of you and considering you as a stupid fool.
Remember even RAMA , embodiment of all virtues did not hesitate to kill Ravana and destroy his evil empire !
The path to the rise of pseudo Hindus was paved by the secular, the left and the liberals, who ruled not only the country but also controlled the economic discourse and the social narrative. If one looks back, the pandering to clerics and mullahs, while leaving common Muslims to suffer and vote, abandonment of ideals of progressive state, failure to promote modicum of nationalism and scientific tempers in Madrasas, allowing all manner of ashrams and babas to proliferate, rampant corruption, broken law enforcement and judicial system and so on, were all the handiwork of those entrusted with building a rational and progressive nation. People of India finally got fed up and voted for change, even if it brings the pseudo Hindus to power.
Cheery picking , Genaralising Gaslighting.
Capt.Gopinath has waded into unfamiliar waters. Anyway, I merely intend to point out that “Universal Man” or Vishwa Manava he quotes from Kannada Poet Kuvempu is nonsensical. Kuvempu was a confused soul. Sometimes, he wrote like a rationalist. At other times, he was full of adulation for Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and Swami Vivekananda. All of us belong to one particular country. Does it make sense to say that I belong to the world? In India, matter is complicated by regional, linguistic and caste identities.
“All of us belong to one particular country. Does it make sense to say that I belong to the world?”
Yes it is, the idea of Cosmopolitan was well established in the ancient Greek world. Petty Hindu sentimentality has no need for such worldly considerations even as some hypocritically chant ‘Vasudeva Kudambakkom’.
Which Ancient Greek civilization was completely and utterly ruined by the early Christians – the latter whom even went far to cover up reasoned Greek critiques of the new iconoclastic faith springing out from the Jewish wastelands. It is testament which the Ancient Greeks had for their culture that tourists flock to this day to Greece not to view the Orthodox churches which supplanted the Ancient Greek religion but the ruins from the Ancient Greek period.
We were talking about the subject of universalism of which Greece is an example.
It was not about Greece and who destroyed its ancient culture.
Bhakths use no logic, so flitting from their favourite topic to another is the only mental habit they are capable of.
The author has pick and chosen, like the lutyens and libtards generalizing the attack on minorities. It is these libtards and lutyens lawyers in cohorts with NGOs of guf who pay them hefty fees, take up isolated incidents and broadcast them in bbcnytwsj. It is these guys who are a threat.
My vocabulary just got strengthened. Thank you Sir. By the way article was very nice and deep.