A “nationalism” rooted in Sanatan Dharma
I have never been an avid reader of Panchjanya but started admiring Shri Tarun Vijay after reading some of his articles in the last few months (e.g. see here).
As some of you may know, he has recently resigned as editor of the weekly to head up BJP’s think tank…Here are excerpts on how he felt making the transition…It makes some important points about dialogue, ideology and the need to separate personalities from “issues” (Anirban: Thanks for alerting me to this)
Excerpts from “The blessed path” by Tarun Vijay
…Atal Bihari Vajpayee was not only my first editor, but first reader too. Many of our issues were warmly appreciated and severely criticized by him. He would call even when he became Prime Minister to say what we have published is good or simply intolerable. He didn’t like criticising opponents personally and would always advise: “Oppose as vehemently you can, but on policies and programmes. Refrain from personal attacks.”
…Everyone who opposed our ideological stand was published honourably without a single cut, from Somnath Chatterjea to A.B. Bardhan and D. Raja to Shahabuddin and Bukhari. IPTA’s theatre new items got published along with Sanskar Bharati’s. It shocked our opponents but pleased our friends – it showed the strength of our commitment to what we believe in – dialogue. That’s Hindutva and not the Siberia-ism or creating of a Gulag on every news desk by the so called ‘independent’, ‘objective’ and ‘fearless’ journalists of the secular hue.
…It’s difficult, if not impossible to work in a Hindi journal to cater ideological arsenal to the faithful when the entire intellectual discourse has been confined to just one language – English. You end up creating more foes than friends.
…My take is: never compromise on your commitments. It’s your actions alone that save. Ultimately you have to bear your own cross. As a Hindu, the life and soul are immortal, only the attire, the body, perishes and a new life awaits. So why fear?
…To cap it, we went to Vaishno Devi on 25th Feb and it taught me strength of higher values, of ideology overpowering micro-identities. If life was just bread and butter, pilgrimages would be a non-starter and music wouldn’t have been described as ennobling.
In times of precipitated intolerance against each other based on parochial and religious identities, the pilgrims’ progress shows the strength of nobler bonds. There were Marathis and Biharis, UP- wale bhaiyyas and Gujaratis mingling with Malyalees and Punjabis of all shades – amdasis, Sikhs and Monas (Hindus) and Buddhists from Leh and Sikkim .All melted in one colour - Jai Mata Ki. Each one helps the other to walk miles of steep climb and encourages the other to keep at it. They may be complete strangers and none notices if the other is well dress or poorly attired. A billionaire and a cobbler walk the same path with the same confidence and commitment.
That’s the miracle of sharing and believing I saw during the Ramjanmabhoomi movement where provincial, caste and language identities were completely submerged in the broader, higher goal of rejuvenating the bruised national icon of Sri Ram. During the Kargil war too, the same spirit of harmony was exhibited extraordinarily and it bound Indians of all faiths with a thread of patriotism. This can be achieved only through ideology of purpose and not through personality cults.
…The myth of Aryan invasion, a Dhimmitude directing our polity and actions, intense hateful assaults on anything Hindu and spineless responses by an ill-informed crowd that represents the durbari class of Raibahadurs of the colonial period, absence of unity of purpose and the threat of barbaric intolerance can be faced with an uncompromising and unapologetic pride in being Indian inheritors of a great Hindu civilization.
Being a Hindu should be an elevating and enriching factor of our life instead of making us feel embarrassed.
Sri Aurobindo had clearly and unambiguously defined our nationalism as Sanatan Dharma, the eternal righteousness that defines what people understand as Hinduism. None has ever said that Sri Aurobindo was communal, so why do have fear today? He believed in the great destiny of India and gave us a path that was universal yet distinctly Indian. Why hesitate to redefine it and adopt for contemporary polity?
Defeating ideologies incompatible with the contemporary values of egalitarianism and plurality should form our foundation of nationalism which strives for material progress and ecological safeguards too as an essential part of Hindu dharma.
As much as 1.25 lakh sq km of our land is in enemy possession; this, as well as two flags for Kashmir fluttering over Srinagar Secretariat and the killing and uprooting of patriots should hurt us, give us sleepless nights and steel our resolve to undo the wrongs….”
*** End ***
Well said, Tarun-ji. Posts by Tarun Vijay on this blog:
As the Government sleeps, dark clouds gather on the horizon…
“India Breaking” - Read this and Weep
Dear Shantanu,
Thanks a lot for publishing this article. It was classy and super. So sophisticated and well written.
Wish you all the best in publishing some more on this subject.
Regards,
vck
Comment by v.c.krishnan | March 18, 2008
1. Those Hindus read and inculcate even a bit of Swami Vivekanada, Sri Aurobindo and other great personalities of Bharat are the proud Hindus, and those who not are the confused lot.
2. And those who trained in christian missionary and pseudo-secular schools are the lot who feel embarrased to call themseves as Hindu, and they don’t stop there only. It is they who bad-mouth on anything Hindu, and some even form anti-hindu forums to serve their personal selfish agendas. They have low self-esteem and lacks self-confidence.
3. People who have no swabhiman or self-respect, are dead fellows. For them, ignorance is their proud, hating others is the best thing in life. They live a life of extreme frustations and insecurity.
4. What is needed for the Bharatiya/Hindus is to develop self-respect and self-confidence. By learning and inculcating even a bit of great personalities one can achieve that. If we think of Buddha, we become Buddha; if we think of Vivekanada, we become Vivekanada.
5. Everyone needs role-models in life, to shape and build good characters. One of the greatest role-models for todays Bharat is the Swami Vivekanada. He was not only a spiritual personality, he was a fierce nationalist and patriot. About Vivekananda, Shri Ravindranath Thakur said: “If you want to know India, read Vivekanada. In him everything is positive and nothing negative.”
Bharat
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Comment by Bharat | March 18, 2008
In India if you call yourself as secular, you get various benefits like membership to academic bodies and government committee ( with fat remunerations), awards and trips abroad for so called seminars to defame all related to Hinduism and Hindus. You can also network with similar kind (Marxist and Mullahs) to loot the country. For this what you have to do is to denounce Hinduism, nationalism and Indian culture and adopt a holier than thou attitude towards Islam and Muslim fundamentalism.
Comment by S.Srinivas | March 19, 2008
In my view:
1. Of course we must take pride in our culture…one of the richest in the world, also MOST TOLERANT and respectful of other faiths. Most inclusive.
2. We are not Hindus….this is a term invented by moguls to describe us…I would prefer my faith to be described as Vedic or Sanatan Dharma. I am a Bhartiya or Indian. Not a hindu…no such thing in our ancient culture. (Even Indian indeed is a foreign term, but India the official name of my country, so I do not mind being called Indian….Hindustan is a name given to my country by invaders (yet, I would happily sing the song “saare Jahan se acchha, hindustan hamara.”..as it poetically gives a true depiction of my country….and being in Urdu, harmlessly calls my country “Hindustan”)
3. I cannot take any pride in demolishment of Barbari Masjid or any other fanatical acts…indeed such acts bring shame to my country.
4. My faith teaches me to love all, unconditionally. If some of my brotehren’s thought process is not in accord with mine, what I need to do is lovingly try and bring up mutual level of awareness through honest dialogue, not spread hate or kill or condemn another.
5. What is needed most of all is to inculcate proper moral values amongst youngsters and not encourage anti this or that type of divisive attitude.
Comment by Suresh anand | March 20, 2008
Namaste,
The Meaning, Definition and Origin of the word Hindu
by Jayaram V.
http://www.hinduwebsite.com/hinduism/h_meaning.asp
—–
Here my response to Jayaram V’s article and the word Hindu.
Namaste,
Sri Jayaram’s article gives (somehow) origin of the word Hindu, but not who is a Hindu in the sense of Hindu Dharma.
1. Sri Jayaram V mentioned, “The word ‘Hindu’ is not a sanskrit word…”; Then, what it is? In which language of the world, we can find the word Hindu? It is not a Persian word, nor Arabic. Persians, as well other west Asians (Arabs), used to call the people living in the sapta Sindu/Sindhu River areas as Hindu (instead of Sindu, as Persians pronounce S as H, same as Ohomiya/Assamese people pronounce S as H). Sindhu region comprise the sapta/seven river areas (which is the Saraswati-Sindhu civilization area).
2. The word ‘Hindu’ is a Tad-bhava (that bhava) of the word ‘Sindu’, so it is very much a sanskrit-moy (sanskrit-based) word, if not a pure sanskrit word. It is derived from the pure sanskrit word Sindhu. In Bangla language, about 90% words are from Sanskrit (tad-sama and tad-bhava). What we going to say? It is Bangla language, but Sanskrit-moy (-based) Bangla. As per the Constitution of India, our rastra-bhasa (national language) is the sanskrit-moy Hindi.
3. Sindhu word is the root for both word Hindu and India. British used word ‘India’ is the tad-bhava of Greek used word ‘Indo’. India is the derivative of Indo. Similar to the word ‘Hindu’, the word ‘India’ is also a sanskrit-moy (-based) word; we can’t find the word Indo or India in any languages of the world. Merely derivations does not make the word Hindu or Indo or India as Persian or Greek or English words).
4. The word Hindu and India are more geographical, civilizational and cultural concept. They reflect the Saraswati-Sindhu-Ganga (and expanded areas) civilization and culture. Culture is more broader and comprehensive than religion. It is more of the culture/samskriti, which binds us together as one nation Bharatvarsha, from Manipur to Gujarat and Kashmir to Kanyakumari.
5. Now, who is a Hindu? In cultural-religious sense, all followers of Sanatan Dharma or Vaidika dharma or Arya (means noble) Dharma or Hindu Dharma are Hindus, and we identify us as Hindu. In geographic-cultural sense, all the people of Bharat are Hindus (irrespective of religions), just as we all are Indians (Bharatiya).
I found the definition of ‘Hindu’ given by Sri Bal Gangadhar Tilak is a comprehensive and beautiful one, as accepted by the Supreme Court of India:
“Acceptance of the Vedas with reverence; recognition of the fact that the means or ways to salvation are diverse; and the realization of the truth that the number of deva-devis (gods) to be worshiped is large, that indeed is the distinguishing feature of the Hindu religion.” B.G. Tilak’s definition of what makes one a basic Hindu, as quoted by India’s Supreme Court. On July 2, 1995 the Court referred to it as an “adequate and satisfactory formula.”
It must be noted that, a definition of Hindu have to include all Hindus (followers of Sanatan Dharma), practicing or non-practicing, theists or atheists, by-birth or by-adoption, vaisnavite or shaivite, vegetarian or non-vegetarian, and so on.
Bharat
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Comment by Bharat | March 20, 2008
Vck, Bharat, Srinivas and Suresh,
Thank you for your comments.
***
@ Suresh and Bharat:
Re. the origin of the word “Hindu” and whether it is more appropriate to call our “religion” or “belief-system” Hindu-ism or “Sanatan Dharma”, please read:
http://satyameva-jayate.org/2007/07/25/more-on-origin-and-usage-of-word-hindu/
http://satyameva-jayate.org/2007/03/04/origin-of-the-word-hindu/
http://satyameva-jayate.org/2006/05/27/hindu-india-and-bharat-word-origins/
***
@ Suresh: Re. your point #3, I don’t believe anyone is asking us to take “pride in demolishment of Babari Masjid or any other fanatical acts”.
And yes, you are right, our faith does teach us “to love all, unconditionally”…
However there are times when you do have to fight back, when words, entreaties and requests fail and when all other options have been exhausted. Under such circumstances, force and use of force remains the only option.
I am sure you know that this is similar to what Shri Krishna said to Arjun on the battlefield the evening before the Great War began.
I also agree with you that we need to inculcate an inclusive, tolerant attitude amongst children and the younger generation. And what better role model than India and Hinduism for this? Please do read this article by Jean Pierre Lehmann and you will see what I mean:
http://satyameva-jayate.org/2006/05/30/excerpts-from-the-dangers-of-monotheism/
***
@ Bharat:
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the “Meaning, Definition and Origin of the word Hindu”. It is a controversial topic, as you know, on which numerous articles have been written.
I liked your except of Bal Gangadhar Tilak’s quote (#5).
Separately, you mention that “As per the Constitution of India, our rastra-bhasa (national language) is the sanskrit-moy Hindi” (point #2).
This is a common mis-perception.
See for example,
http://satyameva-jayate.org/2007/04/23/bharatiya-passion-firangi-thoughts/#comment-10660 and
http://satyameva-jayate.org/2007/04/23/bharatiya-passion-firangi-thoughts/#comment-11134
You may also enjoy reading: “Of Bharatiya Passion and Phirangi Thoughts”
Comment by B Shantanu | March 22, 2008
That was really insightful article by Tarun Vijay. I am confident the sentiments like nationalism, patriotism and being proud to be a hindu is not lacking in the young hearts of new generation of Indians. The pseudo-secularism is outdated and we need change .Thanks to Tarun vijay for opening the blocked senses of many indians. All his articles have rare power of truth. I wish indians could read more such columns and articles from different persons in media and politics.
Comment by jyoti | May 24, 2008