Hindutava the name made Controversial

I am deeply hurt by the current controversy sown by certain political parties over the pious word Hinduism branding it as non- Secular.  The word Hindu is derived (through Persian) from the Sanskrit word Sindhu, the historic local appellation for the Indus River in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent. The word Sindhu is first mentioned in the Rig Veda. The word Hindu was borrowed by European languages from the Arabic term al-Hind, referring to the land of the people who live across the River Indus, itself from the Persian term Hindū, which refers to all Indians. By the 13th century, Hindustan emerged as a popular alternative name of India, meaning the "land of Hindus".

The term Hinduism later found mention sporadically in certain Sanskrit texts such as the later Rajataranginis of Kashmir (Hinduka, c. 1450), some 16th-18th century Bengali Gaudiya Vaishnava texts, including Chaitanya Charitamrita and Chaitanya Bhagavata, usually to contrast Hindus with Yavanas or Mlecchas. It was only towards the end of the 18th century that European merchants and colonists began to refer to the followers of Indian religions collectively as Hindus. The term Hinduism was introduced into the English language in the 19th century to denote the religious, philosophical, and cultural traditions native to India.

Before the Muslims came to India this nation was named as Bharat or by the name of the small Dynasties and Rulers. The Muslims gave the Indian religion the Hindu name. Before the Muslims came to India the people named their religion as Dharma or Sanatan Dharma (Religion and teachings of Saints). This nation was named as Hindustan by the Islamic rulers, who were so much attracted to the rich art, cultural heritage and customs of this nation of this land that they tried to develop a custom and religion so particular and specific to this land.

According to Veer Savarkar, RSS Hindutva is an inclusive term of everything Indic. He makes it clear by saying: ...Hindutva is not a word but a history. Not only the spiritual or religious history of our people as at times it is mistaken to be...., but a history in full....Hindutva embrases all the departments of thought and activity of the whole Being of our Hindu race. ~ Essentials of Hindutva.

In a judgment delivered in 1995, the Supreme Court of India ruled that "Ordinarily, Hindutva is understood as a way of life or a state of mind and is not to be equated with or understood as religious Hindu fundamentalism... it is a fallacy and an error of law to proceed on the assumption... that the use of words Hindutva or Hinduism per se depicts an attitude hostile to all persons practising any religion other than the Hindu religion... It may well be that these words are used in a speech to promote secularism or to emphasise the way of life of the Indian people and the Indian culture or ethos, or to criticise the policy of any political party as discriminatory or intolerant.

The Gazetteer of India clearly mentions Hinduism or Hindutava as having the same meaning. Indian culture and civilization, had stood the test of thousands of years, has been built, most of all by the labour, sacrifice and wisdom of Hindu sages, mystic saints, savants and patriots and the people themselves. The Hindu Characteristic of tolerance in faith, beliefs and observances has asserted itself, new modes of living together in harmony. There is similarity between customs and habits of the Hindus, Christians and Muslims despite religious disparity. In important matters connected with the ceremonies of birth, marriage and death, their ceremonial is broadly speaking, similar. This was no-doubt due to the fact that the majority of the Muslims and Christians are Hindu converts, who were deeply attached to their old habits of life. Many of them celebrate, perform and relish Hindu customs and festival, and till date many Muslim families are performing certain rituals and festivals of Hindus. All sections of people enjoy, participate and celebrate the functions of each other. Social life being shaped by the administrative set-up economic developments and contemporary religious trends have seen varied changes all converging upon of the Hindustani values and a general enrichment of life. The Muslims and Christians have learnt to live as Indians, regard India as their home, adopting much in their dress, food, manners and customs, superstitions, social divisions etc.

 The essence in Hinduism has led to the research for universal in religion. Indian culture and its basic principle of unity and living in harmony have stood the test of time. The true spirit of Hinduism has ignored all barriers of caste, creed and religion. From times immemorial it is there and found acceptance from Turks, the Persian, the Arabs, the Moghuls and English and all other foreigners and is today a fusion of several other cultures, with the more emphasis on building creative minds, thoughts and Hindu way of spiritual enlightenment. It was instrumental in binding the Indian society into one harmonious unit.

 Hindutava is the essence of “Cultural Nationalism” in India. According to this, the natives of India share a common culture, history and ancestry.  M S Golwalkar, one of the main proponents of Hindutva believed that India's diversity in terms of customs, traditions and ways of worship was its uniqueness and that this diversity was not without the strong underlying cultural basis which was essentially native. He believed that the Hindu natives with all their diversity, shared among other things "the same philosophy of life", "the same values" and "the same aspirations" which formed a strong cultural and a civilizational basis for a nation.

Savarkar similarly believed that the Indian subcontinent (which includes the area south of the Himalaya and the Hindu Kush or Akhand Bharat (undivided India, अखण्ड भारत) is the homeland of the Hindus. He considered "Hindus" as those who consider India (Bharat, भारत) to be their motherland (matrubhumi), fatherland (pitrubhumi, पितृभूमि) as well as their holy land (punyabhumi, पुण्यभूमि), hence describing it purely in cultural terms.

RSS, one of the main votaries of Hindutva has stated that it believes in a cultural connotation of the term Hindu. "The term Hindu in the conviction as well as in the constitution of the RSS is a cultural and civilizational concept and not a political or religious dogma. The term as a cultural concept will include and did always include all including Sikhs, Buddhists,and Jains. The cultural nationality of India, in the conviction of the RSS, is Hindu and it was inclusive of all who are born and who have adopted Bharat as their Motherland, including Muslims, Christians and Parsis. The answering association submit that it is not just a matter of RSS conviction, but a fact borne out by history that the Muslims, Christians and Parsis too are Hindus by culture although as religions they are not so.

There is a popular saying in ancient Indian Text books that in Kaliyuga (the current Era) Sangha i.e.  Unity is the strength.   A nation can only be strong and developed if its citizens and the society is united, homogeneous and love their country by heart. The appeasement policy of some political Parties towards certain section of the society has unfortunately resulted in sowing of seeds of communal discord amongst the people of India. Due to Vote Bank politics Hinduism or Hindutava is branded as communal, which is most shocking and damaging. Non- Hindutava or Hinduism thoughts and ways are today projected by some political parties as a symbol of political success. The people of India have proved through ages that Hinduism is their spirit of living, and they have always rejected division on the basis of caste, creed and religion. Our Ancestors built Hindutava for unifying and binding the people into one integrated, secular, homogenous, coherent, progressive and dynamic society. And further to build this nation into an economic power. Hence it’s also called a nationalist movement.