3. Nepal Hindu Rashtra in News.
Please see article regarding ‘Hindu Agenda for the State of Bharat’ and related couple of news items. None of the demands made in Hindu agenda are either revolutionary, nor reactionary. In fact they formed core agenda of freedom movement that received universal support from all sections of society in India and from all patriots regardless of religion. Witness unity displayed when Lord Curzon divided Bengal on communal basis in 1905. Both Hindus and Muslims participated in agitation to undo the mischief . British were forced to accept the verdict of people of India and undid their foul deed in 1911. Nationalism was not corrupted with divisive agenda as long as likes of Balagangadar Tilak were leading Indian National Congress which was then not merely a political party but a platform for all nationalists, patriots even with opposing views to participate and join.
Even though initially the freedom movement got derailed with arrival of Gandhi on scene in 1915 and his espousal of Khilafat ( Islamic Califate) movement, soon he also adopted that same Hindu agenda that is noted below. Ramarajya , ban on Cow slaughter became his main planks and hall marks of Indian National Congress,INC. Hindu masses naturally were attracted to Congress and both British and Muslim league recognized INC as representative of Hindus while league representing Muslims.
One would expect given great sacrifices and support INC received from Hindus in general and their stated agenda through out freedom movement , on the very day India became free on August 15, 1947, some of long cherished goals like ban on Cow Slaughter which would have fit well with Gandhi’s stated Ahimsa or non-violence, would be enacted as well as Vandematarm becoming national anthem which was also much expected. As you know one of them was thrown into so called ‘directive principles of Constitution’ which actually means never to implement it . Another item, Uniform Civil law is also there languishing under Directive Principles,not to be implemented, but keep looking at for ever much like what is being done in case of ‘temporary article 370’. All these were placed in Constitution only to placate lot of patriots who were still there in INC as well as in Parliament then. Vandemataram was made a national song yet was banned from being sung in Parliament for nearly 50 years . Such was the fate of things that aroused nationalist sentiments, long held sacred tenets demanded by patriotic people of India.
In contrast even though there has been no demand from Moslem circles, paying for Haj be secular government of India was enacted by Nehru led parliament with alacrity . Shariat and secularism in India became synonymous. When Supreme court came in the way once on issue of Triple Talaq, the judgement was countermanded by Constitutional amendment . All these did not ensue any national integration but kept increasing separatism even after partition.
Hindus are in general are patient people. It took long time but realization is sinking in now a days, how all along they got short changed. Temples are taken over by secular government but not mosques or churches . Many parts of India are becoming extensions of Islamic States on both sides of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Hindus though are accused of ‘majoritarianism’ , it is Hindus who are refugees in their own country where there is dominance of Moslems or Christians.
” A State only lasts as long as its own culture and civilization remain intact” to paraphrase Prof Samuel Huntington , author of Clash of Civilization.
We saw the fate of India when Hindus became minority in areas like West Punjab or East Bengal. India’s culture and civilization is Hindu. It must be preserved to safeguard the state of India from balkanization. India came to rescue of Western civilization more than once. Contributions to World Civilization from India can restart and continue only when India is strong and prosperous again which in turn requires the majority to become strong and prosperous which then can take along minorities in the same path of progress and development, eventually erasing this constant unnatural majority, minority dichotomy .
G V Chelvapilla
Source: WHN Media Network