There has been a lot of newsprint spent on the alleged polarisation that has been affected across India by unscrupulous politicians to maximise the votes in their favour in the ongoing elections. Like many other fellow lay readers of newspapers, I've also taken this to be referring to provocative statements and speeches of politicians and candidates in the elections creating a fear complex within their community by magnifying real & imagined excesses by the other community like promising job reservations in the obvious knowledge that it is unconstitutional or saying 'It was not Hindu but Muslim Jawans who won Kargil'. Or issuing threats to 'Teach a Lesson', 'Send them to Pakistan'. These are obviously meant to provoke anger, hatred and fear sufficiently as to make people vote en bloc to the candidate from their own community. Put simply, get Muslims to vote only for Muslim candidates & Hindus to vote only for Hindu candidates. While psephologists and columnists generate enormous amount of literature mainly pre- election but also post- election analyses, I'm yet to be convinced if this is an actual pattern or a creation to just get the desired results in the elections - get my candidate to get elected.
But that is not the story I want to write here, I'm no committed political activist/ observer, leave alone a psephologist. I've always thought, may be wished, that such provocations work to a very limited extent (unless in case of of a major event like Babri Masjid destruction and the aftermath) and bulk of the informed voters & citizens see through the game and make their choices based on their own assessment unswayed by such rhetoric. I had thought this kind of polarisation is more in the minds of the gullible excluding urbanised upper middle class. My belief was rudely proved wrong with my recent experience, actually last week.
The energetic sparring that I used to enjoy with a good friend in the school days was renewed a few years ago as we discovered each other after a long gap. Though the difference in opinion now is more due to the differing perceptions on Hindutva & Hindu - Muslim interaction, the debates continued to be enjoyable, indeed I enjoyed it so much that I tried provoke my friends through comments more provocative than I felt, just to get them to betray the limit. I didn't have to work very hard at it, I saw the limits very frequently, nevertheless, the exchanges remained exciting and enjoyable. But the latest exchange was different.
I got to see the extent of hatred that misinformation and many outright falsehoods, perpetrated by self styled protectors of Hindu culture & religion, have affected the reasoning of many an urbanised middle/ upper middle class/ affluent people, otherwise very pleasant & friendly. The passion to make Hinduism as exclusivist as Islam that they accuse of being exactly that, is amazing. A major gripe is fear of losing identity, a persecution complex. This, in people belonging to the majority community forming more than 80% of the population should otherwise be surprising. To a person belonging to a minority community, this kind of a fear complex amongst the majority community should be very very nerve-wracking. This is an obvious factor that has betrayed itself in several parts of the world causing a lot of destruction. Another remarkable thing I've absorbed is the glaring ignorance of things about Muslim community amongst many of Urban Hindus- I heard a senior citizen today referring to Muslims as butchers, I gently poked him asking - surely he didn't believe all 180 million Indian Muslims were butchers, he was serious & meant it ! That there is equally glaring or even higher ignorance of most things about Hinduism/ Dharma amongst Muslims is possibly very true, I don't know enough to comment and this post is not about that.
I have three reasons that made me deliberate on & post it here- this friend of mine was so upset with my response to a post on his FaceBook page that he cut out my initial comment and responses to his questions from the Post altogether ! Worse, he called me names on his post and cut out my responses to them !
Second, a comment form me that wasn't palatable to him made him lose all sense of decency and reasonableness. The last is more selfish, I have a duty to let people know of my response when I'm called. names.
At a time when I hear of the new silent reformation underway among the educated Muslim youth, ( kafila.org/.../fundamentalism-liberalism-and-muslims-review-of-hasan-su... ) the incidence and rapid growth of such inferiority complex among the urban adherents of SanAtana Dharma is, a little unnerving not to mention the disappointment.
The whole post with comments is attached here. The parts colored are from me that My Friend (MF) removed from the post, funnily, while retaining the posers and comments on me/ my comments ! For obvious reasons, I am 'Me' or 'NP', my friend if MF, other friends who commented are F1, F2, so on.
Please answer my question: Can your friends namely Evangelists "fool" people to convert them? Yes/No.
But that is not the story I want to write here, I'm no committed political activist/ observer, leave alone a psephologist. I've always thought, may be wished, that such provocations work to a very limited extent (unless in case of of a major event like Babri Masjid destruction and the aftermath) and bulk of the informed voters & citizens see through the game and make their choices based on their own assessment unswayed by such rhetoric. I had thought this kind of polarisation is more in the minds of the gullible excluding urbanised upper middle class. My belief was rudely proved wrong with my recent experience, actually last week.
The energetic sparring that I used to enjoy with a good friend in the school days was renewed a few years ago as we discovered each other after a long gap. Though the difference in opinion now is more due to the differing perceptions on Hindutva & Hindu - Muslim interaction, the debates continued to be enjoyable, indeed I enjoyed it so much that I tried provoke my friends through comments more provocative than I felt, just to get them to betray the limit. I didn't have to work very hard at it, I saw the limits very frequently, nevertheless, the exchanges remained exciting and enjoyable. But the latest exchange was different.
I got to see the extent of hatred that misinformation and many outright falsehoods, perpetrated by self styled protectors of Hindu culture & religion, have affected the reasoning of many an urbanised middle/ upper middle class/ affluent people, otherwise very pleasant & friendly. The passion to make Hinduism as exclusivist as Islam that they accuse of being exactly that, is amazing. A major gripe is fear of losing identity, a persecution complex. This, in people belonging to the majority community forming more than 80% of the population should otherwise be surprising. To a person belonging to a minority community, this kind of a fear complex amongst the majority community should be very very nerve-wracking. This is an obvious factor that has betrayed itself in several parts of the world causing a lot of destruction. Another remarkable thing I've absorbed is the glaring ignorance of things about Muslim community amongst many of Urban Hindus- I heard a senior citizen today referring to Muslims as butchers, I gently poked him asking - surely he didn't believe all 180 million Indian Muslims were butchers, he was serious & meant it ! That there is equally glaring or even higher ignorance of most things about Hinduism/ Dharma amongst Muslims is possibly very true, I don't know enough to comment and this post is not about that.
I have three reasons that made me deliberate on & post it here- this friend of mine was so upset with my response to a post on his FaceBook page that he cut out my initial comment and responses to his questions from the Post altogether ! Worse, he called me names on his post and cut out my responses to them !
Second, a comment form me that wasn't palatable to him made him lose all sense of decency and reasonableness. The last is more selfish, I have a duty to let people know of my response when I'm called. names.
At a time when I hear of the new silent reformation underway among the educated Muslim youth, ( kafila.org/.../fundamentalism-liberalism-and-muslims-review-of-hasan-su... ) the incidence and rapid growth of such inferiority complex among the urban adherents of SanAtana Dharma is, a little unnerving not to mention the disappointment.
The whole post with comments is attached here. The parts colored are from me that My Friend (MF) removed from the post, funnily, while retaining the posers and comments on me/ my comments ! For obvious reasons, I am 'Me' or 'NP', my friend if MF, other friends who commented are F1, F2, so on.
Unscrupulous godmen
'rescuing the hetahens' adopting Safrron Clothes
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Saffron Christian Missionaries 'deceive' naive Hindus by adopting and/or appropriating many Hindu appearances, symbols and Ideas
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Saffron Christian Missionaries 'deceive' naive Hindus by adopting and/or appropriating many Hindu appearances, symbols and Ideas
Saffron Christian Missionaries 'deceive' naive
Hindus by adopting and/or appropriating many Hindu appearances, symbols and
Ideas.
This is just one of the many example.
·
F1 Recently when I visited a catholic church in Kerala, they
had the system of removing footwear just like in Hindu temples. I told the
priest there, that I also have been to St. Peters Church in Vatican City in
Italy and the Pope heads that church and they don't ask anyone to remove their
shoes to enter the church.
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F1 In Bangalore on top of a church at Briand Square near
Mysore Road and City Market recently I saw a Neon sign that is saying in
Kannada "Om Shree Yesu Christaya Namaha"
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F2 You could also say that, they are adopting to the native
culture. They hold the 'Jesus pallakki' procession in the city streets, they
even do the Magalarthi like in the Temples.
·
MF Once 100% of the
population has been converted they go drop all the forms and go right back to
the Jerusalem code
·
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F3 Where is the so called "budhdhi jeevigalu" and
why don't they see the deception here. They under the cover of secularism or
freedom of expression are creating these fissures. To counter the this my
friend after seeing this picture suggested that group of people dressed in the
christian cloths should be shown performing yagna, pooja and aaradhane.
Me: MF, interesting that I’m reading ‘Among the Believers’ of
V.S. Naipaul just as I see your post. This kind of thing happens all across
Asia – semitic religions getting adapted in ancient Asian civilizations through
appropriation of existing symbols & what was considered pagan
practices. If it were not for the
centuries of exclusivity that Brahmans practiced in India through a rigid caste
system, Hinduism would probably have been much more stronger & confident
than it is today.
·
MF Mr NP, Please respond to the post and not some irrelevant
stuff.
The main point here is : Your friends are wearing Saffron dress to woo heathens. It is not that non-Brahmanas are running to a Chruch for identity.
That is not what the post is about.
The main point here is : Your friends are wearing Saffron dress to woo heathens. It is not that non-Brahmanas are running to a Chruch for identity.
That is not what the post is about.
Me Thanks MF for
the advice, I note to avoid any comments on your posts, I can understand if
you'd like to unfriend me, no offence will be taken.
·
F1: F2, They are not adopting to native culture, if that were to
be true, then it would be welcome. What they are doing is engaging in deception
knowing that Hindus inherently respect Saffron clothed men as Swamis. These are
fake Swamis who have no clue as to the symbolism or sanctity of the
significance of the Saffron robe. It actually denotes Viragya. These are Viagra
Swamis
MF: NP, you are an
emotional roller-coaster!!! One extreme to another. You come and offend me but
I point it out and u act like a victim!
Please answer my question: Can your friends namely Evangelists "fool" people to convert them? Yes/No.
Please answer my question: Can your friends namely Evangelists "fool" people to convert them? Yes/No.
·
MF I will tolerate reasonable dissent on my timeline.
Certified communists with selective hatred of Hinduism will also be tolerated
to some extent. At some point I will send you back to Vatican.
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F4 The problem here is the ego combined with directionless
emotion. Those who exhibit such emotions are always hurt within. MS I agree
that even tolerance should be definite Integral....
·
MF BTW, for those who don't know NP and myself are very
friends from High School!! We started debating against each other from 1977
itself!
·
Please answer my question: Can your friends namely Evangelists "fool" people to convert them? Yes/No.
·
Me (April 22, 2014): Kept quiet given your responses
Mahabala, let me close off with 2 things - I can't recall any evangelists for
friends, so can't respond, hypothetically, there'll always be some exploiting
people's vulnerability to meet their ends so long as there are people gullible
to be exploited.
·
MF:
·
Hey, You did not answer
my question ------------------------------ The comment:
·
·
Me: 2nd - If you plan to
buy me a trip to Vatican, you are welcome but you'll have to count in the wife,
son & daughter too as I cannot travel without them and thanks for the
offer, its been 22 years since I last saw the Sistine Chapel. I'm not even an
armchair commie & I expect Commies would hate to have me called one, given
my views of them. I don't see any reason to display my sense of loyalty or
pride in being a Hindu/ Sanatana Dharmi, I'm satisfied with my practice &
little learning and am hungry for learning more on my Dharma, now I know your
tolerance limit, which is to me, nil. Neverthless, I'll keep following your
posts as I respect your honesty though despair at your intemperance. Last,
there are no emotions here, only rational opinions weighed in with
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·
F5:
MF, The more I read about such news the more I
feel helpless. Some one had recently posted 'yesu sahasra nama' in sanskrit
which is being chanted in many of churches in India. What is going on in India?
Or should we feel happy that they ...See More
·
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F7:
MF -
X-ians have done mangaLaarati, oodina kaDDi, abhishekha, vrata, naivEdya,
teertha etc. for a long time. It is nothing new.
Me: considering my own conduct, background, beliefs &
practise, its very painful to be called 'Hindu Hater' that too by a good friend.
As agreed I haven't posted this, but having called me names, I believe you have
the courage to share this with your friends with whom you've characterized me
& called me names. Take care.
Very interesting and thought provoking post Narasimha. I share your views. As you have lived in Kerala you would have seen how there indeed is a blend of cultures even in religious practices. Polarisation doesn't help mankind in general. Religion is something that has been manipulated over the ages to suit the purposes of a wily few. More on this when we meet in person next. By the way, I'm surprised somebody could have categorized you as a Hindu hater. Your outlook is philosophically that of a true Hindu.
ReplyDeleteThanks Banda, your last sentence is music to ears! Fact is, polarisation is a ready & easy tool available to those seeking power , influence & pelf. The toughest alternative is co-opting and speaking the truth. It takes almost unnatural courage to take the lAtter option, obviously very few in the business of leadership-hunt do.
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