Fantastic essay. Thank you! This youtube video is incredible. What a slice out of time. Two of them are just a NIGHTMARE. But weirdly guileless in their catastrophic ignorance.
It's hard to imagine a frank conversation like that happening on air today. If you look on YouTube there are a series of such videos between kids of different countries.
One thing I thought about later was that the two who minimize and defend prejudice are from the dominant social group. The other two --who are much wiser and more reflective--have experienced prejudice and powerlessness. I am going to look for these other videos.
Generally Hindus are super open-minded people when it comes to religion and religious freedom. That's why religious refugees from several countries took refuge in India spanning centuries.
"The clash of civilizations" was first posited as "the west" vs Islam. Or modernity vs Islam. But here in the United States it's now Christians and Muslims vs LGBTQ.
I was raised in a conservative Hindutva family and after some discussions with my grandmother, I have come to realise that a lot of my political views have been skewed by her and my parents. Collective punishment seems to be one of their most prized methods of justifying hate towards non-Hindus and I am trying to unlearn all of that.
Having said that, I hope you might be able to help me with a few doubts.
Other major religions h(Islam, Christianity etc.) have countries proclaiming them as national and/or official religions, so is it not fair that India should get to call itself a Hindu nation? It is, after all, the birthplace of the religion.
Of course, I realise that a lot of Hindutvas will not be satisfied with simply altering the constitution, they will demand more. 'More', scarily enough, might lead to a genocide of non-Hindu Indians, because if the ruling party wishes to make India a Hindu country through and through, then, according to them, expulsion of religious minorities will be inevitable.
Ultimately, as a Hindu myself, I will follow what my religion preaches: peace and tolerance. If the constitution will always call India a secular nation but millions of Indian lives will remain untouched, then that should be the path any self-respecting Hindu should choose, as opposed to what might lead to mass ethnic cleansing.
This is what I believe, but I am also only eighteen years old. Is this an acceptable thought process? I hope you will be able to help me.
Thanks for reading Asha and sharing your thoughts. Its a really tough question because on one hand I can see why a majority Hindu country would want their faith to be recognized and protected by the state, the way that other states do so. I would not actually oppose that except because of the accompanying implication (which you mention) which means that this will entail punishing, discriminating against, or otherwise crushing other faiths. Sad to say this often takes place in avowedly Christian or Muslim states, though not always. I hope that Indian Hindus, if they go down the path of Hinduization of the state as seems kind of likely. can model a new form of tolerance and peace that is not based on Western models. That would be a truly impressive accomplishment.
Thanks for replying! I'm really just trying to have good morals and I found your article at the perfect time.
I hope so too---if India does become a Hindu nation, it should not be done at the cost of the lives and livelihoods of religious minorities ethnic to the country.
My mind expands when reading your essays. Thank you.
Thank you Brenda
Great stuff
Thank you
Fantastic essay. Thank you! This youtube video is incredible. What a slice out of time. Two of them are just a NIGHTMARE. But weirdly guileless in their catastrophic ignorance.
It's hard to imagine a frank conversation like that happening on air today. If you look on YouTube there are a series of such videos between kids of different countries.
One thing I thought about later was that the two who minimize and defend prejudice are from the dominant social group. The other two --who are much wiser and more reflective--have experienced prejudice and powerlessness. I am going to look for these other videos.
Great point
Generally Hindus are super open-minded people when it comes to religion and religious freedom. That's why religious refugees from several countries took refuge in India spanning centuries.
What comes after the Clash of Civilizations?
Makes me think of a letter from Swami Vivekananda to Mohammed Sarfaraz Husain:
https://minervasperch.wordpress.com/2021/01/14/vivekananda-letter-to-mohammed-sarfaraz-husain-of-naini-tal-almora/
"The clash of civilizations" was first posited as "the west" vs Islam. Or modernity vs Islam. But here in the United States it's now Christians and Muslims vs LGBTQ.
Hello Mr Hussain.
I was raised in a conservative Hindutva family and after some discussions with my grandmother, I have come to realise that a lot of my political views have been skewed by her and my parents. Collective punishment seems to be one of their most prized methods of justifying hate towards non-Hindus and I am trying to unlearn all of that.
Having said that, I hope you might be able to help me with a few doubts.
Other major religions h(Islam, Christianity etc.) have countries proclaiming them as national and/or official religions, so is it not fair that India should get to call itself a Hindu nation? It is, after all, the birthplace of the religion.
Of course, I realise that a lot of Hindutvas will not be satisfied with simply altering the constitution, they will demand more. 'More', scarily enough, might lead to a genocide of non-Hindu Indians, because if the ruling party wishes to make India a Hindu country through and through, then, according to them, expulsion of religious minorities will be inevitable.
Ultimately, as a Hindu myself, I will follow what my religion preaches: peace and tolerance. If the constitution will always call India a secular nation but millions of Indian lives will remain untouched, then that should be the path any self-respecting Hindu should choose, as opposed to what might lead to mass ethnic cleansing.
This is what I believe, but I am also only eighteen years old. Is this an acceptable thought process? I hope you will be able to help me.
Thank you,
Asha.
Thanks for reading Asha and sharing your thoughts. Its a really tough question because on one hand I can see why a majority Hindu country would want their faith to be recognized and protected by the state, the way that other states do so. I would not actually oppose that except because of the accompanying implication (which you mention) which means that this will entail punishing, discriminating against, or otherwise crushing other faiths. Sad to say this often takes place in avowedly Christian or Muslim states, though not always. I hope that Indian Hindus, if they go down the path of Hinduization of the state as seems kind of likely. can model a new form of tolerance and peace that is not based on Western models. That would be a truly impressive accomplishment.
Thanks for replying! I'm really just trying to have good morals and I found your article at the perfect time.
I hope so too---if India does become a Hindu nation, it should not be done at the cost of the lives and livelihoods of religious minorities ethnic to the country.