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.
