Secularism or
anti-Hinduism?
By K. Venkatasubramanian
http://www.pragna.org/Iss01212.html
Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee is an intellectual with a rare
sense of humour. When he addressed a Delhi
conference, recently, in English, a member of the press corps said
it was ironic that Mr. Vajpayee should have addressed the
United Nations Organisation Summit in Hindi and a meet at home in English.
Pat came the Prime Minister's reply. "It
is safer to talk in Hindi in America than it is in
Delhi." This is a clear example of the
contradictions existing in the country.
An atomic scientist, when the first nuclear
explosion took place, could recite from the Bhagavad Gita without anyone
raising their eyebrows but the people in India
cannot render a hymn on Saraswathi, Goddess of learning,
at an education meet.
When I tune into the FM channel at 5 a.m.,
it is a pleasure to hear Sheik Chinna Moula
Sahib's "Mahaganapathim" on the
nagaswaram. How can a devout Muslim render a song on a Hindu God? Does it mean
the artiste is pro-Hindutva?
It is time our political leaders understood that Hindutva
and Hindu culture are two different things.
Indian culture is imbibed
by all Indian citizens, irrespective of caste,
creed, colour, religion and sex. Quite a few churches conduct
car festivals and the image of Mother Mary is taken around
in a procession. Many Hindus follow the car religiously.
Nagaswaram is a 'must' in a Hindu marriage. Muslims can be seen at the
Palani Temple and Hindus at the Nagore Dargah.
When, in college, I got the first rank in
Biblical studies, the Paramacharya congratulated me and did not banish me.
As Director of Education, Tamil Nadu, when I was asked
to preside over a wedding where the bride was a Hindu and the groom a
pious Christian, the Bible was read first and the pastor
rendered a prayer song and then the Hindu priest took over with the
mantras; the mangalasutra was tied and rings were exchanged. Everyone was
happy, when cakes and jalebis were served together. Fortunately, no
Minister attended this wedding. Maybe he would have walked out.
If politicians leave people alone, things will
definitely improve and the country will grow into a global power.
Secularism has been interpreted by the
power-hungry politicians as atheism. It is not so. It is only harmony
among the religions. In fact, Hinduism is the most secular religion in the
world. You can be only born a Hindu because it never encourages
conversion. It was this religion that Swami Vivekananda re-established as the
most universal and receptive.
It is convenient for the politician to abolish
the moral code of conduct which the religions preached. By playing
atheist, these people, who are after power and pelf could open the
floodgates of corruption without any inhibition. But the anti-god
propaganda had miserably failed and so these political 'Rasputins' now
take refuge in pseudo-secularism.
Many would be aware that Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose
organised a dharna in a Calcutta college stressing
the right of the students to observe
Saraswathi puja. Students of different castes and
religions took part in the dharna.
Swami Vivekananda wrote to his
follower, Sri Ala Singa of Madras, from Chicago on
November 2, 1897, about his address at the Parliament of Religions:
"I bowed down to Devi Saraswathi and stepped up to speak."
He began all his letters with "Victory to
God," "Shri Durga be my Refuge," "Salutation to
Bhagawan Ramakrishna." He asked key questions
to solve the eternal Indian crisis. Why do Indians lack the power of collective
action? How will the country's future be saved, if these
defects in the national character are not
remedied?
The answer lies in making every boy and
girl learn his or her Indian moorings. We should
have Indian education. It is unfortunate
that we have Tamil Education, Kerala Education,
Punjab Education and so on. To revel in this mess even after 50
years of independence is really regrettable.
When everyone talks of integration and secularism, they
mean only fostering their own narrow loyalties.
Every Christian school starts with the
Bible for all students irrespective of class, creed or religion.
Everyone accepts it as part of our secular ideal. But
when Hindus sing devotional songs at a public function, conscientious
objection is raised even by non-believers like the Communists.
When M. F. Husain drew a portrait of Goddess
Saraswathi in the nude he was hailed as the most secular painter in
Asia.
If you go through the telephone directory, you find
such names as Kamakshi Kabir, Helen Meenakshi, Lakshmi Satyavathi and
Vincent Saraswathi. This is real integration.
What is integration? It is acceptance. Swami
Vivekananda chides those who say, "We tolerate other
religions." He says they must accept them.
What is needed in our education
system is this acceptance. We must learn to accept and respect other's
views, then only can we live together as a big family.
Mahatma Gandhi chanted prayers from all religions
but thought the essence of India's culture was captured in the song, "Vaishnava
Janato". To recite songs on Hindu Gods and Goddesses can never be a
crime in India.
In the West Asian countries,
only Islam is recognised. Even having pictures of leaders of other
religions, leave alone Gods, is considered a crime and people are
imprisoned for that.
One of my close friends, a well-known
educational thinker, who passed away recently in Karnataka,
lamented that, "Things are going beyond
control and there is no discipline." He
was referring to the recent nation-wide teacher's
strike. "When students have given up strike, teachers have
taken it up. Only the fear of God can bring in
discipline but we have dispensed with God," he said.
Gunnar Myrdal was perfectly right when he
said, "Indians have everything except
discipline." The world takes lessons from India,
but we in India refuse to learn anything from our culture in the name of
secularism.
"If one were to ask me which
literature would give us back (us Europeans, who have been
exclusively fed on Greek and Roman thought.... )
the necessary equilibrium in order to make our inner
life more perfect, more comprehensive, more universal, in short,
more human, a life not only for this life, but for
a transformed and eternal life, once again I would indicate India.
Philosophy in India is what it ought to be, not the denial but
the fulfilment of religion: It is the highest religion: and the
oldest name of the oldest system of philosophy in
India is Vedanta, that is, the end, the goal, the highest object
of the Vedas," said the German philosopher, Friedrich Max Muller.
Eminent British historian Arnold Joseph Toynbee
advised: "At this supremely dangerous moment in human history (it is still
so), the only way of salvation is the Indian way. Emperor
Ashoka's and Mahatma Gandhi's principle of non-violence and Sri
Ramakrishna's testimony to the harmony of religions. Here we have the
attitude and the spirit that can make it possible for the human race
to grow together into a single family..." Vasudaiva Kutumbakam.
But do we have the patience to listen to Max
Muller and Toynbee? They may not fit into our misshapen secularism.
(Courtesy The Hindu, December 1, 1998)
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