WHY shouldn’t India or Hindustan be a symbol for all Hindus? The Queen of England is: the Queen of all Great Britain, head of the Anglican Church, former Empress of the British Empire, and head of the British Commonwealth. The British Monarch is symbolic of the past greatness of: British power; Anglo-Saxon heritage, culture, history, and achievements; the purity of Anglo-Saxon bloodline; the general power and status of European/White power in the world today. All Anglos and white people, with some exceptions, can take pride in the symbolic representations of the British monarchy. Such pride can serve as the basis for the continued evolution of a strong national pride and ability of Anglo and European peoples to continue to play a dominant role in the world. People, who see themselves as being descended from greatness, will never accept foreign domination either politically, militarily, or culturally. People, who take pride in their achievements, past and present, will always strive for greatness. They will not accept a second-class status, locally or internationally.
It is good for all peoples to have symbols of greatness to serve as a morale builder for sustaining the “constant-never ending struggle” to achieve equality or dominance vis-a-vis other peoples. The morale of an army in war has been generally recognised as its greatest weapon. The heroic morale of the Russian people in World War II was instrumental in Russia’s victories. The high morale of the Jewish people, emerging from World War II, was a major factor in their victories and struggles against the much larger Arab armies and the Arab world. The symbolic power of the Japanese Emperor was heralded as a major driving force for maintaining the will of the Japanese army and people to continue their fight against the Western powers. Today, the Japanese Emperor is still a great symbol for uplifting and maintaining the morale and willpower of the Japanese people to keep up and surpass their competitors.
The same could be said about past German greatness, which is symbolically embodied in the former Kaiser and Bismarck. The feeling of greatness is a major factor in pushing Germans to work hard, and not to fall behind other nations. In Thailand, throughout their tumultuous history, the Thai king has been the symbol of unity for the people.
Hindus, just as any other people, need symbols of: our past greatness, and our current achievements to serve as a morale builder to take us into the future as a strong, competitive force to face any challenges that may come our way. It is probable that India’s civilisation is older than all others. However, foreign conquerors and cockroach Indians have tried their best to suppress Hindu India’s national pride, and our ability to take our rightful place as a dominant power in the world.
Do we have a living symbol, which embodies the historical greatness of Hindus and India? We need a living symbol? Restoring one of India’s great Hindu royal families may be the answer. This Royal family must have been one that has fought for India’s freedom from conquerors. Such a family must embody the historical greatness of Hindus in all their struggles. Previous “commoners,” who were elected to the offices of prime minister and president have not been able to symbolize the historical greatness of Hindus and India. It is possible to re-instate a Hindu Royal family as the national symbol for all Hindus and India. In Spain, General Franco re-instated the Spanish monarchy. General Franco realised that Spain needed a national symbol to unite the nation. King Juan Carlos and Queen Sophia have been the major national force for Spanish unity.
A Hindu Royal family would be a symbol for Hindus in India and Hindus all over the world. Royalty can unite and heal the wounds of divisions among Hindus. The longevity of the Hindu religion and culture can be reflected by a Royal family. Most other cultures are hostile to foreign cultures and people. Hinduism’s liberal and tolerant attitudes towards other cultures and peoples have strengthened India’s democracy. Throughout the Third World and Eastern Europe, democracy has failed because of the absolutist and intolerant attitudes of these cultures, which exclude foreign cultures, ideas, and religion. To maintain India’s democracy, while India is re-building to take its rightful place in the world, a Hindu Royal family can help keep Hindus united.
VASSAN RAMRACHA