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Secularism or
anti-Hinduism? Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee is an intellectual with a rare sense of humour. When he addressed a Delhi conference, recently, in English, a member of the press corps said it was ironic that Mr. Vajpayee should have addressed the United Nations Organisation Summit in Hindi and a meet at home in English. Pat came the Prime Minister's reply. "It is safer to talk in Hindi in America than it is in Delhi." This is a clear example of the contradictions existing in the country. An atomic scientist, when the first nuclear explosion took place, could recite from the Bhagavad Gita without anyone raising their eyebrows but the people in India cannot render a hymn on Saraswathi, Goddess of learning, at an education meet. When I tune into the FM channel at 5 a.m.,
it is a pleasure to hear Sheik Chinna Moula
Sahib's "Mahaganapathim" on the
nagaswaram. How can a devout Muslim render a song on a Hindu God? Does it mean
the artiste is pro-Hindutva? Indian culture is imbibed by all Indian citizens, irrespective of caste, creed, colour, religion and sex. Quite a few churches conduct car festivals and the image of Mother Mary is taken around in a procession. Many Hindus follow the car religiously. Nagaswaram is a 'must' in a Hindu marriage. Muslims can be seen at the Palani Temple and Hindus at the Nagore Dargah. When, in college, I got the first rank in Biblical studies, the Paramacharya congratulated me and did not banish me. As Director of Education, Tamil Nadu, when I was asked to preside over a wedding where the bride was a Hindu and the groom a pious Christian, the Bible was read first and the pastor rendered a prayer song and then the Hindu priest took over with the mantras; the mangalasutra was tied and rings were exchanged. Everyone was happy, when cakes and jalebis were served together. Fortunately, no Minister attended this wedding. Maybe he would have walked out. If politicians leave people alone, things will definitely improve and the country will grow into a global power. Secularism has been interpreted by the power-hungry politicians as atheism. It is not so. It is only harmony among the religions. In fact, Hinduism is the most secular religion in the world. You can be only born a Hindu because it never encourages conversion. It was this religion that Swami Vivekananda re-established as the most universal and receptive. It is convenient for the politician to abolish the moral code of conduct which the religions preached. By playing atheist, these people, who are after power and pelf could open the floodgates of corruption without any inhibition. But the anti-god propaganda had miserably failed and so these political 'Rasputins' now take refuge in pseudo-secularism. Many would be aware that Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose organised a dharna in a Calcutta college stressing the right of the students to observe Saraswathi puja. Students of different castes and religions took part in the dharna. Swami Vivekananda wrote to his follower, Sri Ala Singa of Madras, from Chicago on November 2, 1897, about his address at the Parliament of Religions: "I bowed down to Devi Saraswathi and stepped up to speak." He began all his letters with "Victory to God," "Shri Durga be my Refuge," "Salutation to Bhagawan Ramakrishna." He asked key questions to solve the eternal Indian crisis. Why do Indians lack the power of collective action? How will the country's future be saved, if these defects in the national character are not remedied? The answer lies in making every boy and girl learn his or her Indian moorings. We should have Indian education. It is unfortunate that we have Tamil Education, Kerala Education, Punjab Education and so on. To revel in this mess even after 50 years of independence is really regrettable. When everyone talks of integration and secularism, they mean only fostering their own narrow loyalties. Every Christian school starts with the Bible for all students irrespective of class, creed or religion. Everyone accepts it as part of our secular ideal. But when Hindus sing devotional songs at a public function, conscientious objection is raised even by non-believers like the Communists. When M. F. Husain drew a portrait of Goddess Saraswathi in the nude he was hailed as the most secular painter in Asia. If you go through the telephone directory, you find such names as Kamakshi Kabir, Helen Meenakshi, Lakshmi Satyavathi and Vincent Saraswathi. This is real integration. What is integration? It is acceptance. Swami Vivekananda chides those who say, "We tolerate other religions." He says they must accept them. What is needed in our education system is this acceptance. We must learn to accept and respect other's views, then only can we live together as a big family. Mahatma Gandhi chanted prayers from all religions but thought the essence of India's culture was captured in the song, "Vaishnava Janato". To recite songs on Hindu Gods and Goddesses can never be a crime in India. In the West Asian countries, only Islam is recognised. Even having pictures of leaders of other religions, leave alone Gods, is considered a crime and people are imprisoned for that. One of my close friends, a well-known educational thinker, who passed away recently in Karnataka, lamented that, "Things are going beyond control and there is no discipline." He was referring to the recent nation-wide teacher's strike. "When students have given up strike, teachers have taken it up. Only the fear of God can bring in discipline but we have dispensed with God," he said. Gunnar Myrdal was perfectly right when he said, "Indians have everything except discipline." The world takes lessons from India, but we in India refuse to learn anything from our culture in the name of secularism. "If one were to ask me which literature would give us back (us Europeans, who have been exclusively fed on Greek and Roman thought.... ) the necessary equilibrium in order to make our inner life more perfect, more comprehensive, more universal, in short, more human, a life not only for this life, but for a transformed and eternal life, once again I would indicate India. Philosophy in India is what it ought to be, not the denial but the fulfilment of religion: It is the highest religion: and the oldest name of the oldest system of philosophy in India is Vedanta, that is, the end, the goal, the highest object of the Vedas," said the German philosopher, Friedrich Max Muller. Eminent British historian Arnold Joseph Toynbee advised: "At this supremely dangerous moment in human history (it is still so), the only way of salvation is the Indian way. Emperor Ashoka's and Mahatma Gandhi's principle of non-violence and Sri Ramakrishna's testimony to the harmony of religions. Here we have the attitude and the spirit that can make it possible for the human race to grow together into a single family..." Vasudaiva Kutumbakam. But do we have the patience to listen to Max Muller and Toynbee? They may not fit into our misshapen secularism. (Courtesy The Hindu, December 1, 1998)
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