WORLD ANTI-HINDU FORCES-2

A WIDE CANVAS

WORLD ANTI-HINDU FORCES-2

Hinduism is not an organised religion. There is no one central authority, one hierarchy, enforcing one standard rule. Even the same sects in different parts of the country vary in their practices.

This is good for our spiritual growth as it gives us plenty of freedom and choice, but bad as a religion. We are not required  to subscribe to rigid theological dogma,  but only given a discipline to follow, which becomes more refined as we proceed. We are asked to experience the mystery of life in our own way, at our own level and pace. As a religion it does not impose uniform rules on every one. So we tend to become individualised in our outlook and approach, though we may be seen as following the same practices! And we have no organisation at all to oversee us. This becomes a weakness when we have to engage our critics and detractors.We behave more like a crowd  or group than a team.

This is not how  Islam and Christianity function. They have rigid  dogma and organisational structures and hierarchies. And these are world-wide. They have networks through which messages are spread throughout the world. Since both these religions are focused on conversion, the networks are active. A Hindu in India is usually not aware of what happens to Hindus in Pakistan, Bangladesh,or elsewhere.-why, he does not even care what happens in his own neighbourhood. His knowledge is mostly based on what newspapers report. But the Islamic and Christian networks operate on their own and spread the news fast, independent of and even differing from the news media. 

Apart from Church organisations, there are many so called Non-Government Organisations (NGO) and outfits which front for the Christian organisations and promote their interests throughout the world. It is well known that Muslim countries generally place restrictions on Christians. Christians use the word "persecution" for this. But, over the centuries  the Roman Catholic Church has persecuted other sects of Christians. With the rise of the  'enlightenment' , the western govts have become separated from religious affiliation, and become secular. People are still religious in the conventional sense, though educated persons are increasingly giving up formal religious affiliation. It is said that in the US, 20% of the people have no religious affiliation. Western societies , especially their elites, have been genuinely tolerant of religious differences- in fact they have become indifferent to religion, though they are more touchy about ethnic issues, mainly due to immigration. But in the case of Muslims,the two often go together, and they are now causing resentment in every non-Muslim country where they live, especially in Europe. Here the govts are trying to hide the true state of things, but opinion polls reveal what people at large- the real natives of the land- think about the issue. this is bound to reflect in action some time. 

 Muslim countries and govts are both Muslim. People of other faiths have very limited freedom for practising their religion. Thus Christians say they are 'persecuted' in such countries.

"Open Door" is an American outfit which brings out World Watch List, an annual statement of countries where Christians are persecuted. In the list for 2014, it places India at no.21 out of  top fifty countries where according to them Christians are persecuted! India is grouped along with Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Libya, Vietnam, Myanmar, Ethiopia, Turkmenistan, etc where  persecution is classified as "severe".

 Any average Indian knows that India is a democratic country with a well-defined Constitution, that Christians practise their religion here with all freedoms, that many Christians take part in govt and public life holding high offices, that they control education, etc. Until the last elections, an Italian born Catholic woman with low educational qualifications was the virtual head of the govt with many Christian ministers! Yet they say that they are facing 'severe persecution' here! If so, was this Italian in India eating chocolates all the ten years her party was in power? This is how blatant falsehoods are spread throughout the world about India through these networks.

It is true that some incidents of attacks on churches or meeting halls have been reported.  It may be sheer vandalism. The motive may be inter-group rivalry among Christian factions or local leadership, disgruntled elements within, as also Muslim fundamentalist activity.  Hindus certainly have woken up to the dangers of mass conversions and are protesting. But they have only taken to public meetings, conferences and such like and do not degenerate into street action. This is what has rattled the Christian outfits. They expect Hindus to sit like clay ducks for their conversion! To protest organised mass conversion, or to criticise their religion or theology is not persecution.This is one of the ways in which anti-Hindu forces are operating in the world.Recently, Hindu temples were vandalised in the US. Do we shout "Oh , persecution of Hindus"?

The organised churches are losing their hold on the people. Faithful congregations are still there , but their size is shrinking. Educated westerners are becoming 'secular' in the sense of not having any religious belief; or they claim becoming 'spiritual' but free of religion. So, the Christians are now concentrating on conversions in Asia, and in India especially targeting Hindus, Buddhists, Jains and Sikhs. Their failure in the West has made them all the more vigorous in Asia where people are more naturally religious by temperament.  

The biggest threat faced by Hindus is a generally unsympathetic and even hostile media, both within and outside the country. The main English language newspapers like Times of India, The Hindu are leftist in their orientation, and anti-Hindu in temper. They damage the Hindu cause and interests by slanted reporting, cleverly mixing views with news, by giving prominent voice to fringe self-styled intellectuals and so called secularists, cutting out or filtering the voice of opposition to their views, etc. But they unashamedly play on Hindu religious sentiments for their own purposes.. The way they reported total falsehood on Gujarat riots, played down the burning of Hindu pilgrims, and did not retract even when the truth was known is atrocious.The same disregard for truth they displayed in regard to Ayodhya. Of course, sensible readers know where to look for real news and the social media enables them to share correct information. Indeed, the Times of India is now more useful for its advertisements than its news content! With on-line marketing emerging stronger, ads in the press may also lose their place.

But the real, long term damage is done in more subtle ways. These newspapers talk of Hindu fundamentalism, and equate it  with Muslim fundamentalism.Yet, have they defined the word? Muslims want to convert India. Is this what Hindus aim at?  Muslims are engaged in violence all over the world. Is this what Hindus do? Muslims want  to convert the whole world to Islam. After the 7 July 2005 terrorist attacks in London, Ali Bakri, a Muslim fundamentalist  then residing in England said :

"Allah willing, we will transform the West into Dar Al-Islam by means of invasion from without. If an Islamic state arises and invades, we will be its army and its soldiers from within."

He also said:

"When Islam enters a territory, that state turns into an Islamic state; it is our duty to liberate them."

 Are Hindu leaders talking in this vein? Yet these newspapers will say BJP is communal, Hindu leaders are fundamentalist, etc. That is, these newspapers are using the words in their own sense, and making it part of the public discourse, so that people would hesitate to call themselves Hindus in public! Words like secular, liberal, progressive, etc are used by them in such manner!

So called international newspapers of 'repute' such as New York Times, Washington Post carry op-ed features against Hindus and Hinduism by well -known Hindu haters, who generally mistranslate and mis- interpret , but when Hindus seek to reply , it is not printed! Yet when it comes to Islam, they do not permit negative criticism! They do not seem to remember who caused 9/11!  All this in a country which is supposed to celebrate freedom of expression!

Most Hindus in India are not aware of how the world media perceive and portray them, just as they do not know how the western academics treat their religion.The combined strength and reach of the media, academies, the church organisations, the NGOs, their supporters and benefactors in politics and administration is enormous. This cannot be countered by mere slogan-shouting in India or resorting to social media , though it is valuable.

Hindus are handicapped because they are not present in strong numbers in many countries- 95% of the Hindus live in India. They may have temples abroad, but these are not structured and net-worked like the churches or mosques. They do not have a clergy or hierarchy. Nor are they entrenched in businesses, professions etc . Just contrast the enormous influence of the Jews, whose population in the world is around just 14 million and who are persecuted or hated in every country except India! Our global reach is limited.

We react out of  gut feelings,on the spur of the moment, but do not have the machinery for sustained, nuanced , reasoned and effective engagement.This is now done by a few dedicated individuals. All powers in the world want to do business here because  we are a huge market, but we Hindus do not know how to convert it to our advantage! They denigrate Hindus, and yet we give them business! We are about 80 crore, but cannot roar- we just squeal!

Our main weakness-in fact our main internal obstacle- so far has been our own government.Ever since Independence, it has functioned as the champion of the two minorities , one of which  did not integrate with the mainstream even in a thousand years and divided India, and the other went on maligning us and converting our people! It also divided the Hindus further on all possible grounds- community, language etc.  All sects of Muslims and Christians of all  political hues unite against Hindus, but Hindus cannot unite !

The first requirement in any strategy is that we do not keep reacting for ever, following some one else's agenda. We should set our own.  We should avoid knee-jerk or merely sentimental reactions.

NOTE:

One recent example of  how merely sentimental reactions can hurt us is the case of the book on Hinduism by a Jewish American  academic. It was full of filth and venom against Hindus. But instead of tackling it academically, some well-meaning people sought a ban through court action.Even as the trial was continuing,  the publishers -Penguin- decided to "Withdraw" the book from the shelves, in an out- of-court move. Yet they made a nasty statement that the freedom of expression or academic freedom was at risk in India. And this is the image that has been spread about India in the West, as the author and the publishers are well connected.! The book got publicity and sold well! As it is not banned, it can still be brought in! The author and the publishers   got away with all the filth and inaccuracies uncorrected, The author and publishers have neatly fooled  (outwitted, if you prefer) us. Muslims seeking ban is different- they back their demand with muscle power.But we are not made that way - we can match wits with anyone . This is what we must do, as Sir John Woodroffe did for us through his book 'Is India Civilised', and Sri Aurobindo through his 'The Foundations of Indian Culture' ( republished as The Renaissance in India.) in reply to the slanderous pen of one William Archer nearly 100 years ago. 

But that is not the whole story. The self-styled secular outfits immediately raised a hue and cry. But none of them, including the newspapers, had the sense to ask the publishers the simple question: 'If you are so fond of freedom of expression, why did you withdraw the book on your own, when there was not yet a court verdict?' After all the publishers were businessmen first, and knew which side their bread was buttered! But it was plain unethical for them to decide to withdraw the book, and then blame Indian law for it. 

We should also remember that Christianity and even Christ have been subject to brutal criticism. People have even psychoanalysed him!  It is the nature of vultures to look for dead bodies, even when they sit atop a temple tower. This is what is exactly happening in the American universities about Hinduism. This has to be dealt with in more fitting ways. Had the book been written by a general writer we need not have bothered.While one need not bother about honest criticism or differences of views, prejudice or plain falsehood  in the pretext of academic freedom or free speech cannot be allowed to go unchallenged in the academies.

The hypocrisy and the double standards followed by the western academies and publishers are highlighted by a recent development. The Oxford University Press asked its textbook writers, on 15 January 2015, not to use the words Pig, Pork, sausages and other pork-related items in their books, in order not to give offence to Muslims and Jews! It shows that it is financial muscle (Jews) or violence (Muslims) that still works. Who says the meek shall still inherit the earth?