Author: Chinmay.Bajekal
Publication: Hindu Vivek Kendra
Date: June 11, 2004
The subject of 'India' and 'Hinduism',
and their relationship is one of hot debate between the so-called Hindu
Nationalists on the one hand and the pseudo-seculars and other opponents
of Hindu Nationalism on the other. This article aims at making a realistic
assesment of the relationship between the two enities 'India' and 'Hinduism',
from a nationalist's perspective.
To begin with let us enlighten ourselves
with what some of our leaders during the freedom struggle had to say on
this subject. Annie Wood besant, a senior leader of the congress party
during the freedom struggle expressed herself in the following words...
"After a study of some forty years and more of the great religions of the
world, I find none so perfect ,none so scientific, none so philosophical
and none so spiritual than the great religion known by the name of Hinduism.
Make no mistake, without Hinduism, India has no future. Hinduism is the
soil in to which India's roots are stuck and torn out of that she will
inevitably wither as a tree torn out from its place. And if Hindus do not
maintain Hinduism who shall save it? If India's own children do not cling
to her faith who shall guard it. India alone can save India and India and
Hinduism are one. "
Annie Besant was not the only one
to hold such views. Her views were shared by yet another freedom fighter
'Rishi Aurobindo' also known as 'The thinker of modern India'. "In a brilliant
speech, Aurobindo equated the Indian land with Sanatana Dharma or Hindu
religion which is but another name for the yearning of the Divine or the
quest of the Spirit. He also said that in India religion and nationalism
are one. India rises with religion, lives by it and will perish with it
and to rise in religion is to raise India." source: The Soul of India -
By Satyavrata R Patel p. 206).
It is unfortunate that the party
whose leaders once held such views is today so strongly opposed to 'Hindu
Nationalism'. There is also an attempt by some to separate Nationalism
and Hinduism. But sadly they forget that the concept of 'Motherland' or
'Mathrubhoomi' itself originated from the Hindu philosophy. It is the Hindu
philosophy that makes us see a Mother in other objects other than our own
biological Mother. The Hindu sees a 'River' , 'Cow', and his 'Land' as
his sacred Mother. 'Vande mataram' is a song that expreses the love and
devotion of a Hindu towards his Motherland in the true sense of the term.
Thus 'Hindu Nationalism' could be precisely described as 'Bharatiya-Oriented
Nationalism'.
To realize the significance of the
existence and domination of Hindu culture/way of life in India, we need
to look at those regions in the Indian subcontinent where once upon a time
Hinduism flourished and today it is hardly existing there. Afghanisthan,
pakistan, and bangladesh are some good examples. Afghanisthan was once
a region where Hinduism did flourish, and it was a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural
society where Hindus, sikhs, buddhists inhabited in large numbers. But
today the region is flourishing only with terrorism, secterian-violence
and war-mongerers. It only goes to show that how when a region of the Indian
subcontinent is separated from Hinduism that the region becomes alien to
India.
Not just in Indian subcontinent
but also around the world we have similar examples related to other ancient
civilisations. The ancient Greece of Alexander and acropolis, The Egypt
of Pyramids, and the Persia of Zorastrians (parsis) all were ancient civilisations
like India but today all that remains of them is mere monuments. We learn
from these examples that when the culture/way of life, of a civilisation
is replaced by another it results in the total annhilation of the civilisation.
Thus to put it in precise words the culture and way of life constitute
the 'Soul' of a civilisation whereas the 'Land' and 'People' only constitute
the necessary physical attributes of a Nation.
Thus protecting 'Hinduism' is in
the true sense of the term protecting the very 'being' , 'existence' and
'soul' of India.
As I end my article I would like
to conclude its theme in the following poetic phrases,
'India is our Motherland,
Hinduism her soul,
This who doesnt understand,
Plays an anti-Indian role !'
