The intolerance debate has been raging for
some time now; high time we tackled this bear by the horns, challenged it and
defeated it. But, in order to do that, it is essential we understand the nature
of the problem facing us. It was as I
was making this effort of trying to understand intolerance that a striking possibility
occurred : that we might actually be getting
far more tolerant than we thought!
PROLOGUE
This first occurred to me when I noted how
Dilip Kumar and other Muslim actors had to change their names in order to
broaden their appeal. We have moved a long way since then; now not only do film
stars not change their names, but can confidently go ahead without a care for
their names. Modern India can now showcase famous names across trades and
professions showing that professional discrimination has been steadily
decreasing to what I hope is now near-zero.
This latest question occurred to me on
reading some period literature of the late 1800s and the early 1900s;which
showcase the status of our society as it was at ground level in those trying
times. As compared to that period, in my opinion we have moved far, far ahead
and have become far more accepting and tolerant. Sure, intolerance remains; but
it is nowhere near what it was earlier. Sure, problems remain; but nothing
quite so serious as compared to before.
SANAATAN DHARM
Santaani resurgence is not a new phenomenon,
and has always been present since the times of the early 1800s at least;
neither is the division in our society along various lines from caste to
politics, That is the price we are paying for colonialism; that is the price of
our independence, I have no doubt that eventually we shall triumph; my
confidence in my mother, my India is total in that regard, As is my confidence
in at least my religion : Sanaatan Dharm, wrongly known as Hinduism.
We have two choices : focus on the negative
message of intolerance, or further the positive message of tolerance. I choose
to take the latter path : can we spot current trends towards tolerance? I can,
More than several, and in the here and the now...
There is far more than meets the eye, in that
this isnt just a political issue as much as it is a classic socio-political
issue arising out of the entire sequence of events that can be traced back
decades, if not more. The past events have given rise to a minority of
Sanaatani followers in India who hanker for a more fundamental approach; a set
of people who set store by Sanaatan Dharm as the central religion, and the pole
of Indian polity as well as society
Note : I refer to Hinduism as Sanaatan Dharm,
by its original name. There is no historical or religious basis for the term
Hinduism; basis my more than 36 books reading of Indian History, almost all
reviewed on my blog.
There is still a segment of people who regard
Muslim rule as alien, who still quote the wars and the violence in the Mughal
and Slave Dynasty periods, who insist that Muslim rule was far more damaging
than the British rule, You can read blogs, articles on the mythical 1000-year
slavery, or the other aspect online on any number of platforms, or on comments.
Hopefully this is still a minor matter in India
What is happening isnt just a political
affair; it is a socio-political affair. And unless we factor in all factors,
any conclusions we reach will be erroneous. And the past has a tremendous
bearing on the present; any number of current events can be found as proof.
Please read the comments on various sites, and note the tenor of the comments,
and how they hark back to the "golden" period of Sanaatani rule for
vivid proof of this. We have no choice but to face down the events of the past,
and prove the reality, separate the chaff from the substance, and lay bare the
reality,
FACTORS OF THE PROBLEM, AND THE ANALYSIS
The problems we face today have their genesis
in several factors :
* History
* Social Developments and Churning
* Politics
* Religion
But more of these in later articles; To cut
things short for now, it isnt a matter of
do-this-as-my-forefathers-were-done-this-to-them. It goes much deeper - into a
hard-wired inferiority feeling in some Sanaatan Dharmis, wherein they regard
the period 1300-1700 as a period when the Golden rule of Sanaatan Dharm fell by
the wayside. The problem with this narrative in vogue is at many levels and layers;
for starters - the assumption of Sanaatani political rule is itself debatable,
given the non-political nature, by and large, of Sanaatan Dharm. Further, the
interplay between political factors and the cooperation of local kings also
goes ignored in this narrative
Second, the assumption that
Sanaatan Dharm fell is itself, to me, a deep insult; the way I see it, we Sanaatanis
did not fall; despite the heavy persecution that was periodically visited upon
us for the past several centuries, While the Abrahaminic Religions totally
eclipsed the earlier society in just about the rest of planet Earth, we
followers of Sanaatan Dharm remain, as we were, resilient, resolute,
unchanging, with the same cultural and religious practices as in 500 or 1000
plus BC, perhaps even 4000BC Plus!.
Now that, I respectfully submit,
is something truly special. We were there when Babylon rose and fell; and we
are still here, in the 21st Century.
To the mainstream of Sanaatani people, it
doesnt matter; we are more concerned with out duties and our lives; our
scriptures are pretty much specific - do your duty towards nation, family and
society. Nothing else matters. You are alive just for one reason : to do your
duty to family and society, period.
But, to some people, the loss of political
power in the early part of the 1st millennium onwards till the 18th century is
proof of the mythical "fall" of Sanaatani power. There is a burning
desire to see Sanaatani followers as powerful militarily and otherwise; they
tend to forget that the real power of a Sanaatan Dharmi is, as per me, his or
her internal strength and resolute and rock-hard belief system that has
withstood centuries & millennia of epochal buffeting winds and changes.
To simplify, it isnt really about others; it
is a burning internal desire to strengthen our own Sanaatan Society that is one
part of the driving factor - giving rise to forces like the Sangh. Now this can be both positive as well as negative;
that we need a Sangh, a body of social drivers that can ensure continued passing
on of values and norms is beyond argument; I myself am a fan of the Sangh's
socio-cultural activities, and how they strive towards creating a good citizen,
as well as driving the power of our religion into their minds, as also
inculcating a feeling of pride in our heritage, which are all positives. {I
have used the Sangh here just as an example}
On persecution of Sanaatan Dharm followers : that is a statement
that has some basis in fact, and there is no point denying it, Yes, we Sanaatan
Dharm followers are, in my opinion, one of the two most persecuted people on
this planet - and in our own land, to boot. We, and the Jews stand as exemplary
people in the history of the Earth : no one has been persecuted as much as us,
and by just about everyone. It is a matter of inconsequential debate as to who
was persecuted more : {my opinion, The Jews have been through more than us} -
and is an academic point.
But who persecuted us really – the Arabs, or the British? And what
about the active cooperation of local kings with the invaders? What about the
various treaties and friendships that happened during medieval times? And why
are we forgetting the active conversion campaigns of the European Christians?
{Christians were here in India since almost 70AD, and had lived peacefully. It
is only after the Europeans that conversions started. All these, and other questions will need
attending to.
While the World has learnt and grown up to
accept Jews, The Sanaatan Dharm follower is still held to public ridicule
outside India in any number of even mainstream outlets. It hurts, damnit - and
I make no bones about it. So why doesn’t this strike a chord in us?
But the real challenge is in facing this
hurt, accepting it - and moving on, We cannot afford to live in ignorance; that
way lies disaster, leaving open the chance of manipulation by some forces. We
have to face the history, grow up to it, look it straight in the eyes, and
state: You are History, I am the present, and I shall learn from you, but not
want to seek justification or revenge. The current set of people have done
nothing to damage us, and thus share no blame. What is past is done with, and
over. Let bygones be bygones; forgive and forget.
By not facing upto the past, we are leaving
the field open for one-sided narratives that blame everyone except look inward,
We need to introspect, understand and face our own faults that lead to this
persecution, for that is the positive way forward, We need to understand that
not everyone, even in the past, was out to get us; and that the persecution,
while true, was not supported by all. We, now more than ever, need to face upto
the history of our nation, and learn from it; learn from our fall from grace,
understand the true reasons for our fall from grace, and connect these
learnings to the present day. That is one way we can fight this rising tide.
In conclusion, in this set of articles, I
shall attempt to look at why India is actually getting more tolerant each day;
I shall try and analyse the reasons for the rise of the rhetoric around some
aspects, try and present the fuller picture, and underscore that while
challenges and worries remain : there is far more reason to be hopeful and buoyant
than there is to be cynical and worried... Jai Hind! Vande Mataram!
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