In a surprise development, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat took a departure from the earlier stand of Sagh Parivar when he said that cultural identity of all Indians irrespective of their religions is ‘Hindutva’. This is definitely a very progressive and welcome development.
While I was wishing that from all quarters of our society positive people should come out and stop the divisive politics and definition, it’s also my beyond imagination that RSS chief ever took such a stand making a departure from their age old stand. This is definitely a positive stand and people who want an inclusive and secured society must welcome the stand and endorse it!
The tag of religion to Hinduism or Hindutva is always divisive. If we remove the tag of religion from Hinduism and endorse its true meaning as a culture, then many differences would end. Hindutva can be accepted as Bharatiyata, which means all the people be it followers of Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Jain, Sikh, Parsi and even Jews who are sons of Bharat/India/Hind/Hindustanshare one culture that’s Hindutva/Bharatiyata!
Unfortunately when the RSS is now taking corrective action for an inclusive society, the great ISI (Indian Secular industry) is creating controversy to prove Hinduism a religion and not a culture. Naturally they are worried for divisive vote bank politics.
My simple question is for the people denouncing the progressive and inclusive statement of RSS chief who are bent upon to prove Hinduism is a religion ‘Which scripture starting from Veda to epics and various Puranas refer Hindu as a religion? Even today which Mantra and shloka has a term Hindu Dharma?
Many Congress leaders commented that India is though known as Hindustan but not a Hindu nation. Right it can’t be a Hindu nation unless you remove the tag of religion from Hinduism! Again as I said Hindu is a foreign word. Are all Indians not Bharatiya? Isn’t Bharatiyata a culture? Oh..perhaps foreign terms are more appealing as it’s divisive!
Senior Congress leader Manish Tewari even referred Constitution which says India is a union of states. Who denies it? What’s relation to this term to call Hinduism a culture! Manish Tewari needs to visit History.
Hindustan as called by Persians and Arabs never was a single nation even up to British period. There was still some small nation either under monarchs or under French and Portuguese! But comprising all is known as Hindustan or Indian states or ‘Bharat Varsha’.
British divided us (Undivided India/Akhand Bharat) defining our Indian culture in a divisive way shrinking it as a religion of majority. It’s time now for corrective major. I although disagree to many of RSS ideologies but definitely I agree that Hindusim/Hindutva is a culture/ a way of life that believes in peaceful cohabitation of different faiths and followers greeting each other. This is the Hindutva we need at the moment. This would end all enmity and bitterness between different faith-followers despite part of same culture.
I wish Bhagwat is true to his assertion. At the same time I wish people should come out of narrow mindset and be a part in resurrecting the great Indian culture that believed ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ (the whole world is one family).