The Start of this Journey…

A friend asked me a few days ago why did I start this and what triggered the idea?

The first was rage and the feeling of deep frustration and helplessness that was triggered by the failed attempt on our Parliament in Dec 2001. The plan failed but the audacity was breathtaking.

As expected, the government promptly condemned Pak-sponsored terrorism but did not feel potent enough to do anything about it – and this was the BJP government with Shri Advani (aka “the hardliner”) in power at the Centre. See e.g., “India – Pakistan tensions rise following Parliament Attack”.

In spite of having photographic evidence of terrorist camps across the border (which we rarely miss a chance to tell the world about, (e.g. “India gives ultimatum to Pakistan to dismantle “terrorist camps”, and “Terrorist camps thriving”), the government lacked the guts to tackle the problem head on.

Just three months before that, we had watched with awe and fascination, US forces bomb remote areas of Afghanistan within days of Sept 2001 and without waiting for any explicit “permission” from any higher authority.

This was something that I could not comprehend.

3000 people die and a “superpower” declares war. We had many times over that number killed in J&K alone (more than 30,000 in a decade, according to a report in CNN) and yet we still did not have the political will to take action.

Three and a half years on, other than the terrorists who were shot, only two people have been indicted in the attack. Two others have been acquitted due to the absence of concrete and unimpeachable evidence.

This was the deep frustration and helplessness.

Today there is also rage.

The second incident that really shocked me to the core was the Beslan massacre – It was, in a way, the last straw.

I became convinced that we were fighting an enemy so deadly and so ruthless that our whole value system and the fundamental principles of humanity were at stake.

Beslan shook me to the core – and I decided we have to fight, each one of us, in our own little way – but fight we must.

For the enemy will not rest – and what is at stake is not Chechenya or Kashmir or Afghanistan or the West – it is the entire world, the entire humanity – the idea that life must be held sacred, the idea of tolerance, that people are different and diversity should not be tolerated but accepted, respected even…and celebrated – this was at stake…and unless we fight, it would be lost.

Everything that we had learnt over the last thousands of years, all the progress that had been made, all the expressions of beautiful ancient cultures, in India, China and elsewhere, the art and architecture that flowered during the Renaissance, our collective cultural heritage, the symbols of modern technological progress – all of this would become hostage to these mad zealots.

This was the impulse that led me to strongly feel that something must be done. The time for transient expression of frustration and anger was past.

And what could be better than to begin by understanding – to learn and to comprehend – what kind of ideology breeds this madness? How does it spread and what nurtures it?

How could this bigotry thrive in a society that has given birth to a Gandhi and how ironic that one of its most horrendous expression of hatred should be in the country of Martin Luther King?

Some of you may think I am a Hindu fascist or, if you are feeling charitable, a neo-conservative. I am neither. I would like to think of myself as a liberal who is prepared to fight to defend his ideals, his beliefs and his principles.

And these include the belief in some core principles e.g. country above self and patriotism before one’s own needs.

And it includes pride in being a Hindu, pride in belonging to an ancient culture that has given the world not just numbers, language and a great religion, but that has produced some of the most profound philosophical thoughts known to mankind.

And about the culture and religion, I can hardly talk enough.

“Hindu Dharma” – the oldest surviving major religion in the world today…and the only one that gives you the choice, the freedom and the luxury of beliefs that is un-afforded in any other extant set of beliefs…which has, as one of its core tenets, the one-ness of all life…which professes that in spite of diversity and external dissimilarity, all beings are one, all life is sacred and all creatures are part of one eternal truth – the “Brahman”.

A religion and culture that had articulated, defined the concepts of tolerance and mutual respect even as most of mankind was still deep in the hinterlands of cultural and spiritual enlightenment.

So I am proud, very proud to be a Hindu…and I felt it was time, also, to begin learning more about it, about examining how it can be made more relevant to the world today and how can we create a unifying ideology based in its fundamental tenets.

All these strands have come together in a blog that I have simply called “Hindu Dharma” – it includes my thoughts and essays on topics as wide ranging from al-Qaeda to the essence of “Hindu-ism”. It is dedicated to my country, “matrubhoomi” – Bharat, and to my religion, culture and way of life – “Hindu-ism”.

If this has set you thinking, I will feel very satisfied and proud.

Proud that I have been able to at least stir someone…somewhere.

I do not expect much of anyone reading this – but if we could all, in our own little ways, make the world aware of the dangers being posed by a violent and extremist ideology, it would be a big step forward.

And to my fellow countrymen – Indians – who may be reading this, I would beg you to think, to become aware of the challenge that we face and say to you (as Shri Krishna said to Arjun when he was hesitant going into battle with the Kauravas), “Cast off this petty faint heartedness and wake up!”

Touch someone, somewhere – please try and make a difference.

This is the time when inaction is not an option and indifference will be suicidal.

Jai Hind…