To prove secular credentials, ridicule the Hindus
Author: S.Gurumurthy
Publication: The New Indian Express
Date: October 31, 2002

Mahatma Gandhi said that he was proud to be a "Sanatani Hindu". That is, an idol worshipping Hindu. Today, a former chief minister cites an encyclopaedia in Hindi, the language he always held as imperfect, to say that 'Hindu' means 'a thief'. Of course, he will not look at the better-known Encyclopaedia of Britannica, which defines the very word 'Hindu' in glowing terms. This is what the Mahatma once termed as gutter inspection. That is looking at the worst, not the best.

Again, Mahatma Gandhi risked his life by a fast-unto-death to ensure that the British did not separate Harijans from Hindus. Today, a lady Congress leader tells a foreign TV channel, whose undeclared mission is to break India, that Harijans and tribals are not Hindus. These characters define secularism today.

See how bizarre the seculars can become. To participate in minority religious functions and rituals is proof of one's secular identify. But should a Hindu minister participate in his village temple festival that is of course an affront to secularism. Can any politician today call himself a proud Hindu, as Gandhiji did, and be still regarded as secular? No.

What is at the root of all this? Not principles, but competition for votes. Now the competition has descended to which Hindu leader demonstrates the least belief in his own faith. The competition of the 'seculars' forces a minority to suspect a Hindu leader who demonstrably believes in his faith. This has cultivated a dangerous taste in the minority, to enjoy secular Hindu leaders trivializing the majority faith and sentiments. Why did Karunanidhi choose a minority forum to ridicule the Hindus? Simple. He believes that the minorities like it. This perversion has already begun costing the minority the goodwill of the majority. What is the consequence? Let's look at the conclusions of a judicial inquiry.

Justice Venugopal, who inquired into the Mandaikkadu Hindu-Christian riots said in his report, "the future, safety, security, rights and privileges of the minority community are dependent in a large measure on the goodwill, understanding, and sympathy of the majority community, namely the Hindus". Again the justice asserated, "any amount of constitutional safeguards or conferring legal rights will not help the safety or promote the prosperity of the minority community, if they lose the goodwill and sympathy of the majority community." "If the leadership of the minority community does not realise it," he warned, "a heavy price will have to be paid." Are not the 'seculars' actually contributing to the loss of goodwill of the majority, instead of warning them about it?

See again what the Venugopal commission found, "When a minority community becomes majority in a 'pocket' or an area, it tends to become militant, defiant and aggressive in that area. This creates a law and order problem.gives rise to resentment, distrust and suspicion in the majority community and leads to communal tension." This surest way to win the ill-will of the majority is supported by who? The 'seculars.'

Not just this. More. Justice Venugopal says: "As conversions by faith and conviction are very rare, bait of some kind is offered to convert a Hindu. The bait may take the form of claim to superiority in religion., To make such claim, one must denounce, reprobate, ridicule, misinterpret Hindu religion. Vile attacks on Hindu religion, its Gods and deities constitute an important and integral plan.sometimes indulged in, in a deliberate and concerted manner." Justice Venugopal has not surmised. He has actually listed massive evidence to show how the converters abuse the Hindu faith. One must look at the report to know how dangerous the situation is on the ground. Will the seculars ever tell the minorities this truth? Never.

This conflict between an aggressive minority and a tolerant majority gradually turns the majority too into the aggressive mode. History tells that this is what made the Roman pagan religion aggressive. Why then complain when Bal Thackrerays and Bajrang Dals proliferate? That Hindusim is getting semiticised. After all tolerance has to be mutual, and cannot be a one way traffic. The 'seculars' will never realise this.