Secularism or anti-Hinduism? - The Hindu

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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 too different things.

The 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. May be he would have walked
out.

If politicians leave people alone, things will definitely improve
and the country will grow in to 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.

No 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 writes 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 Bagwan 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.

The tail piece of this article could only be a news-report in the
Economic Times (October 29). The Congress wishes to reiterate
that in the spirit of Sarva Dharma Samabhaav, which is the
essence of secularism, the party has no objection to any
invocation, be it Saraswathi Vandana or the Qiratan." For record,
it should be noted that the Congress Education Ministers also
walked out at the mention of Goddess Saraswathi, at the education
meet in Delhi.

K. Venkatasubramanian, Former Vice-Chancellor, Central
University, Pondicherry.)

• Next message: M. V. Kamath : "Beyond religion"

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