The Agenda of Hindu Nationalism, But No Trace of Internal Reform in Hinduism, whereas Islam was never on reformist path

By Manohar Manoj

In last 3 decades, the way issue of secularism, majoritism and minoritism got its limelight, since then we have been witnessing two extreme political polarization in the country that is first in form of 'secular' and second in form of 'communal' force. But now these both political groups have some serious social and national issue lying before them, which all have to be answered by them.

          First we go through the secular pole of Indian politics. At the time of independence, the communal division of the country, held because of whatever reasons, may be regarded as the origin of the problem, which seems still relevant. It was heartening that despite the division, India maintains its secular status but it could not obliterate the demarcation line created after the communal division of the country. It is true on human basis we must not allow communal tussle. But on political level country get divided and a separate Muslim nations get formed then the secularism status of India does not have any meaning.

          Secularism might have been a most prevalent phenomenon under undivided and united India which could have sustaining all religions under its belt. If now, for the purpose of protecting the money and muscle of minority Muslim, if we need secularism, in a context it is quite understandable, but when we color it politically and we take them in form of an identical vote bank under the armory of secularism, then it creates many questions of its legitimacy.

          Before independence, during the freedom struggle, Congress party  was a hardcore secular party which had no dearth of top class Muslim leader in its rank and file. Despite of this, many Muslim citizens and their political outfit  like Muslim League regarded this Congress party, merely a representative party of serving interest of Hindu majority and in the very midst of the freedom struggle, this party raised the demand of a separate Muslim nation and which latter on come in existence also. If the Congress party still claims itself as a champion of secularism, then it creates nuisance to us. One must know this fact that over the cause of secularism, congress was already dead before the independence.

          If today some political parties by showing the fear of communal riots talks about secularism without having any human touch, it does not have any meaning. If some party says the country is heading towards another division; by saying so, these elements are creating danger to the country and they are in fact giving air to another division and repeating same mistake what they had committed before partition. These kinds of statement give moral strength to the divisive forces. If on this very line, if some Hindu elements says that after partition, all remaining Muslims in India must be send to Pakistan, they also come in same category, who in a way validates the division of India. I think the Muslim community which were left in India or who voluntarily decided to remain in India  and who condemned the partition in form of Pakistan, they are real patriot of the country and they are the symbol of undivided India .

          Now the straight question is before us, why the frontline freedom fighting party Congress accepted the communal division of the country? So, they have no more moral right to say this that India will have many more communal division. First you had shown your big weakness and now you are repeating that weakness again. Let us take the example of Kashmir; for all those political reasons, it aligned with India, now why people are demanding to make it independent or part of Pakistan; only because it is a Muslim majority province, in the same way our Muslim majority Punjab and Bengal became the base of formation of Pakistan in 1947.

          Now in the name of Kashmir, same story is being tried to repeat and it again raises the big question mark over the status of secular India, where one Muslim majority province is not ready to continue with it. Off course, we can condemn the communalism and communal politics on the basis of humanism and humanity that all human beings are equal and all have treatment of equal justice and opportunity both. But in secular country like India, if one Muslim majority state tries to become independent, then it is a big question mark over the loyalty of Muslim religion towards secular status of India. We can term secularism as just against to human civilization and collective development, but when we terms it politically wrong , then it  opens up a big Pandora box.

          Today Pakistan has declared itself a Muslim nation constitutionally, but despite of this claims herself a secular nation and terms India , a communal country. When Bangladesh after separating itself from Pakistan, became a sovereign state, then it was a secular country and non Muslim population was constituting ten percent of population, but latter on the radicals of the country omitted word secularism from the constitution.

          What Narendra Modi ruled government did in Gujrat, it was under the radar of judiciaries and human right organizations. In India minorities have many forums to express their peril, but we cannot have like organizations in Pak and Bangladesh. The answers of all these questions lie in the communal division of the country.

          Now we should discuss the so called nationalist who take Hinduism as the synonymous to nationalism. In fact this Hindu nationalism is not representing the whole fabric of Hindu religion, which is moreover based over its opposition to Muslim, which I fell is inhuman and unscientific and based over hatred. First and foremost the self styled champion of Hinduism, the RSS and BJP start soul searching of Hindu religion which is full of self contradiction and inner line of division. They must introspect that why this religion and nation state was to be enslaved for thousand of years. Why this religion is full of so many sections, creed, caste and several types of knots in itself.

          If we view this religion in the perspective of a religious organization, we find that all other religions are more integrated, unified and organized than this religion. But this Hindu religion is full of kulaks and untouchables, innumerable rituals, deity, sects and all. The so called champions of Hinduism must streamline the all scattered castes, sub castes. We cannot strengthen one religion by just opposing other religion, before this we have to wipe out our defects and deformity. If RSS regards herself as a socio cultural Hindu nationalist organization, then its must be its prime duty to start cleansing all barricades and deformity coming before the religion, persisting for last thousand years and try to launch a neo revivalism of Hindu religion. Until unless we regard Brahmanism, I mean not Brahmin as synonymous point to Hinduism, we cannot launch the revivalism process in proper way in Hinduism.

          The Brahmanism is based on rejection not on adoption, so it will always weaken the organizational structure of Hinduism. As a consequence of this we always have had conversion from the Hinduism. Persons like Rajaram Mohan Rai, Swami Dayanand, Swami Vivekananda, Mahatma Gandhi who never said themselves champion of Hinduism but make Hinduism free from many evils, defects and in a way acted in a role of saviour of Hinduism.

          But for the RSS, the agendas of revivalism of Hinduism looks in a passive form. This so called champion has no reply of this, after all those who hate with Muslim, they hate not less with Hindu dalits also, if not overtly, but covertly. How many people we have in our Hindu outfit, who have vision to carry on the fifty percent of Hindu dalits and negligent section into one mainstream of the nation. This is what kind of majoritism which full of so many sections and factions. The RSS never tries to analyse all those weakening elements of Hindu, rather it focuses more opposing other religion. It adopts same chauvinistic style of those religions of whom it is against.

          It is true after independence for omitting out the several evils and devils of Hindu religion, many measure were brought in the country; like Hindu code bill, abolition of untouchability, sati system, banning of child marriage etc. Today untouchability is banned legally, but mentally it is still prevalent in our society. How many upper castes of Hindu are ready to behave with the downtrodden in equal social manner. Still Hinduism is carrying on so many evils in it, though other religions also inherit so many evils. Islam has scope of numerous reforms in it. But it would be better every religions keep reforming themselves on their own. If one relgion start criticizing others and vice versa, it  will create religious  tension in the society and bring the secularism under a big question mark.

          Question is not of political power is being shared with Mayavati, the question is whether every stake holders of society is getting its due regard and cooperating with each other. RSS never launched inter caste marriage kind of campaign among the Hindus. It never tried that the new Hindu renaissance must be brought under the leadership of Dalits in place of Brahmins , who faced years of negligence in the society and now they must be rewarded through giving them helm of these affairs. This is that class of Hindus, who kept their children's name more in name of all Hindu deities in contrast to those upper caste which have less belief in Hindu traditions rather the politics of Hinduism. We should be highly thankful to the all  those untouchables who did not revolt against classics of Hinduism at mass scale. The huge conversion of Dalits under B R Ambedkar to the Budhism, was not in a way conversion to one of the most ancient branch of Hinduism.

          The today champions of Hinduism must be hightly grateful to Gandhi, who provided greatest honor and service to untouchables, who called them HARIJAN, servant of God. On one side B R Ambedkar proved himself a big role model of Dalits in India, on the other side Gandhi proved himself a great champion of Dalits, who ended up untochability in India in both letter and spirit and regarded them as most closest person to God.

          So the question is any religious organization must reform its inner evils and defects, if you are OK, no body can tease you. You can not target those who were not present in the history. Ok it is right if annals has committed wrong, why present must face it.