Though as per Arnold Toynbee, ?Civilizations die from suicide, not murder?, Hindu civilization is being murdered by anti-Hindu forces every day.
A unilateral war against Hinduism is being waged by anti-Hindu forces to wipe out Hinduism the way other native religions and cultures have been destroyed in the world. It is tragic that frontiers of Hinduism which used to extend from Afghanistan to Indonesia are shrinking and getting confined to less and less area.
But Hinduism can be saved. And it will be saved. Before planning its rescue, let us know the dangers faced by Hinduism.
Dangerous dimensionsM
Starting with a zero Muslim population, Indian sub-continent including the present day India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Afghanistan and even a part of Iran was Hindu land till Muhammad bin Qasim'sArab army attacked Sindh in 711. And though Hindus fought bravely to defend their religion and motherland during the repeated attacks over the centuries, they lost Afghanistan (earlier known as Gandhar) in 987 and Pakistan in 1947.
At present, just five thousand Hindus and Sikhs are left in Afghanistan. And Pakistan and Bangladesh have driven out most of the Hindus and Sikhs from their land. In India, the present percentage of Muslim population is much higher than that was in 1947.
And independent India has seen genocide and eviction of Hindus from Kashmir. Besides, India has been facing frequent Pak-Bangla terrorist attacks; the latest attack on July 11, 2006 killed over 200 innocents in Mumbai. Moreover, in their mission to destroy India and create one more Islamic country on Indian soil, Pakistan and Bangladesh have dispatched countless terrorists and crores of their nationals into India.
And recently, Nepal, the world'sonly Hindu country, has been divested of its Hindu identity.
If Pakistan and Bangladesh are focussed to Islamise India, missionaries are determined to Christianise India.
While addressing his followers in New Delhi in 1999, the late Pope John Paul II gave a call to convert Asia to Christianity. And the new Pope Benedict XVI has also reiterated conversion agenda. Hindus and India are favourite targets for evangelization by fraud and inducement.
With each passing day, India is being made more Islamic and more Christian and less Hindu.
Fake secularism
After fighting foreign invaders for over a thousand years; and losing Afghanistan and Pakistan, truncated Bharat was expected to re-assert itself after 1947. But after 1947, a perverse brand of ?secularism? which implies ?anti-Hinduism? has seized India.
Let us have a glimpse of this fake secularism.
Though a ?secular state? cannot promote or punish any religion, in 1959, Congress government under Jawaharlal Nehru started the ?Haj subsidy? for Haj pilgrimage. Though even Muslim countries do not pay any such subsidy, successive governments have persisted with this anti-secular policy.
The same Congress which rejected ?Communal Award? and separate electorates in 1932 is now spearheading anti-secular reservation for Muslims in government jobs. Besides, Congress is sharing power with Muslim League which had created Pakistan. Further, under pretext of ?secularism?, the government has taken no action to deport crores of Pak-Bangla infiltrators threatening to create one more Islamic country on Indian soil.
Moreover, though ?secularism? implies separation of State and religion, several Hindu temples and institutions have been brought under government control whereas non-Hindu institutions are bestowed special privileges.
Further, Article 30 giving special privileges to minorities? educational institutions is fragmenting Hindu society since various Hindu sects claim non-Hindu status to get benefit of Article 30. Shockingly, even Ramakrishna Mission, the leading Hindu organization, had claimed a minority (non-Hindu) status to fall under Article 30. And no action, whatsoever, has been taken to amend Article 30 to extend the relevant fundamental right to all the communities including Hindus.
Anti-Hindu media
In any modern democracy, media is the most potent weapon of attack and shield of defence.
In India, many of the print and the electronic media is controlled by anti-Hindu forces; and is denigrating Hinduism, spreading misinformation about Hindu scriptures, dividing Hindu society and hurting Hindu sentiments. Hindus are being brain-washed to forget their religion, heritage and history; and Hinduism is being distorted and destroyed in the process.
Killing of thousands of Hindus in Kashmir and eviction of several lacs of Hindus from Kashmir is no news whereas Gujarat riots which started after Hindu rail passengers were torched at Godhra is always in the news in media. Infiltration of crores of Pak-Bangla nationals threatening to create one more Islamic country on Indian soil finds no space in media. Similarly, conversion of poorer Hindus to Christianity by fraud, inducement and coercion creates no ripples in anti-Hindu media.
It is deplorable that though there are numerous country-wide newspapers and television channels promoting fake secularism, there is no all-India daily newspaper, or television channel projecting Hindu concerns.
Hindu indifference
De-Hinduised by Macaulayan education and brain-washed by anti-Hindu media, most Hindus know nothing about Hindu religion, Hindu scriptures, Hindu heritage and Hindu history, and therefore, are indifferent to attacks on Hinduism. Besides, material pursuit and consumerism have consumed Hindu society. For many modern Hindus, world means their small families, their personal advancement, frivolous entertainment, and no time for betterment of Hindu society. That is why though individually talented, Hindus lack collective identity and power.
Moreover, since most Hindus are having one child or two children families, dwindling Hindu population has also weakened Hindu society.
Further, instead of defending Hinduism from relentless attacks, most Hindu religious leaders propagate unilateral universalism, tolerance, and the myth that all religions are the same, thereby facilitating fraudulent conversion of Hindus by anti-Hindu sections. Such falsities weaken Hindus; and make them surrender before their tormentors.
Likewise, lulled into complacence, many Hindus feel that Hinduism has survived for thousands of years, and will continue to flourish for ever. But they overlook the worst ever attacks now threatening Hinduism, and Hinduism'spitiable plight in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh which too used to be Hindu lands.
The only solution
Since those who behave like sheep are eaten by wolves, to defend Hinduism, Hindus have to confront anti-Hindu forces.
But how do you educate Hindus about malicious attacks; and prepare them to confront anti-Hindu forces?
How would you Hinduise those who have been de-Hinduised by Macaulayan education, and brain-washed by anti-Hindu media? And teach them Hindu religion, Hindu heritage and Hindu history; and how one would make such reluctant warriors defend Hinduism and create a genuinely secular political party which would give justice to all and appease none? How do you remove enactments and laws which discriminate against Hindus? How do you dismantle fake-secularism to liberate India from crores of Pak-Bangla infiltrators and countless terrorists, and all other oddities touted as secularism? And how do you defeat anti-Hindu forces wiping off Hinduism from the earth?
All this, and much more, can be achieved with the help of Hindu-centric mass media which will inspire and transform Hindu society.
Such a media is the first requirement to awaken Hindus from their secular stupor, and make them pro-active. All the problems facing Hindu society will be solved with the help of this media. Helped by this weapon, Hinduism will not only survive, but will prevail. Since web-sites and internet have very limited reach, the same should be used in addition to the proposed mass media. Accordingly, all pro-Hindu organisations and individuals all over the globe should direct their time, efforts and resources to create the all-India Hindu-centric daily news papers and television channels at the earliest. And it is possible to accomplish this task very soon.
Though it may sound a too simple solution, this is the only way to save Hinduism from its ongoing demolition.
And there is no other way to rescue Hinduism.
(The author can be contacted at [email protected])
