Author: S.Gurumurthy
Publication: The New Indian Express
Date: October 31, 2002
Mahatma Gandhi said that he was
proud to be a "Sanatani Hindu". That is, an idol worshipping Hindu.
Today, a former chief minister cites an encyclopaedia in Hindi, the language
he always held as imperfect, to say that 'Hindu' means 'a thief'.
Of course, he will not look at the better-known Encyclopaedia of Britannica,
which defines the very word 'Hindu' in glowing terms. This is what
the Mahatma once termed as gutter inspection. That is looking at
the worst, not the best.
Again, Mahatma Gandhi risked his
life by a fast-unto-death to ensure that the British did not separate Harijans
from Hindus. Today, a lady Congress leader tells a foreign TV channel,
whose undeclared mission is to break India, that Harijans and tribals are
not Hindus. These characters define secularism today.
See how bizarre the seculars can
become. To participate in minority religious functions and rituals
is proof of one's secular identify. But should a Hindu minister participate
in his village temple festival that is of course an affront to secularism.
Can any politician today call himself a proud Hindu, as Gandhiji did, and
be still regarded as secular? No.
What is at the root of all this?
Not principles, but competition for votes. Now the competition has
descended to which Hindu leader demonstrates the least belief in his own
faith. The competition of the 'seculars' forces a minority to suspect
a Hindu leader who demonstrably believes in his faith. This has cultivated
a dangerous taste in the minority, to enjoy secular Hindu leaders trivializing
the majority faith and sentiments. Why did Karunanidhi choose a minority
forum to ridicule the Hindus? Simple. He believes that the minorities
like it. This perversion has already begun costing the minority the
goodwill of the majority. What is the consequence? Let's look at
the conclusions of a judicial inquiry.
Justice Venugopal, who inquired
into the Mandaikkadu Hindu-Christian riots said in his report, "the future,
safety, security, rights and privileges of the minority community are dependent
in a large measure on the goodwill, understanding, and sympathy of the
majority community, namely the Hindus". Again the justice asserated,
"any amount of constitutional safeguards or conferring legal rights will
not help the safety or promote the prosperity of the minority community,
if they lose the goodwill and sympathy of the majority community."
"If the leadership of the minority community does not realise it," he warned,
"a heavy price will have to be paid." Are not the 'seculars' actually
contributing to the loss of goodwill of the majority, instead of warning
them about it?
See again what the Venugopal commission
found, "When a minority community becomes majority in a 'pocket' or an
area, it tends to become militant, defiant and aggressive in that area.
This creates a law and order problem.gives rise to resentment, distrust
and suspicion in the majority community and leads to communal tension."
This surest way to win the ill-will of the majority is supported by who?
The 'seculars.'
Not just this. More.
Justice Venugopal says: "As conversions by faith and conviction are
very rare, bait of some kind is offered to convert a Hindu. The bait
may take the form of claim to superiority in religion., To make such claim,
one must denounce, reprobate, ridicule, misinterpret Hindu religion.
Vile attacks on Hindu religion, its Gods and deities constitute an important
and integral plan.sometimes indulged in, in a deliberate and concerted
manner." Justice Venugopal has not surmised. He has actually listed
massive evidence to show how the converters abuse the Hindu faith.
One must look at the report to know how dangerous the situation is on the
ground. Will the seculars ever tell the minorities this truth? Never.
This conflict between an aggressive
minority and a tolerant majority gradually turns the majority too into
the aggressive mode. History tells that this is what made the Roman
pagan religion aggressive. Why then complain when Bal Thackrerays
and Bajrang Dals proliferate? That Hindusim is getting semiticised.
After all tolerance has to be mutual, and cannot be a one way traffic.
The 'seculars' will never realise this.
