There is too much noise around me. I can sense confusion, certainty, agenda, marketing, religion, politics, all at once. No wonder then, there is confusion in the air. There are big words like intolerant, secularism, pseudo-secular, terrorism and its types, divisive politics, religious appeasement, biased media and more. The reason why I consider them big words, is because they're absolutely unfathomable. These words have multiple connotations and are being used in varied contexts by so many influential people, that a common citizen of India gets all muddled up.
Well, it's the election season. Canvassing and anti-canvassing are part and parcel. But I feel that from the past three years or so, there's a lot of noise on a particular topic - 'Hindustan - A Hindu Rashtra!?.' I must say, I was and I am quite intrigued and curious to understand. Now all the words I mentioned above have been used multi-million times everyday around 9:00 PM in almost every household of the country. The members of these families have been passive listeners and active thinkers.
What is the debate?
"India should be a Hindu Rashtra." There are influential people who either go with the motion or against it. I am a common Hindustani. I listened, I read, I thought, I tried, to understand. So to start with, I feel there's a need to understand the word 'HINDU' in 'HINDU Rashtra'. Where does this word come from? Is it only limited to religion? or Is there more depth to the word 'HINDU'?
According to what I have understood, HINDU is the area between Himalayas and Indusagar (Indian Ocean). Therefore, H + Indus becomes Hindus. This means Hindustan is a country which lives between these. SO Hindu is not just a religion. Everybody who was born and brought up here is a Hindu by geography. I am a Hindu by birth(geographically).
I also feel that every country has a culture. American culture means the American way of life. Japanese culture means the Japanese way of life. Similarly Hindu culture means the Hindu/Indian way of life. To understand this point, let us take marriage as an example. According to statistics, nearly 50% of marriages in America end up in divorce. Americans accept divorcees without judging them. They don't see divorce as morally wrong rather they consider it as practically correct. Whereas in India the divorce rate is as low as around 1%(source - India Today 20 November 2018). Irrespective of any religion one practices in India, divorce is rare. I don't wish to get into what's right and wrong about divorce. That's another debate. But marriages in India exist generally until death separates the two. Everyone in India irrespective of their religion, works upon her/his marriage and divorce is the last and least possibility. This attitude comes from culture. That is an example of Indian (Hindu) culture. The reason why I cite America and India is that both these countries are democratic and both have citizens following various religions. Hence HINDU is a culture. A christian in India is christian by religious following but HINDU by culture(you may replace any other religion with christian). I am HINDU by culture.
Is there any other reason why we are a HINDU rashtra? YES.
Let me explain with another metaphorical example. India has been known as an agrarian nation even when Agriculture has had lesser contribution to GDP (labour productivity wise and actual contribution). We are agrarian because more than half of Indian employment has been generated by the Primary (Agro-based) sector. When majority of the population is agrarian, we are known as an agrarian nation. In the same way, when nearly 80% population in this country follows Hinduism as a religion, we become a Hindu rashtra. I am a HINDU by my religious following as well.
This HINDU RASHTRA respects each religion, belief and spirituality. It accepts the believer, the athiest and the agnostic as well. Therefore the debate that 'Are we a HINDU Rashtra?' is a no-debate. There is no doubt about it. We are what we are, HINDU - by Geography, by Culture and by majority population's faith.
Well, it's the election season. Canvassing and anti-canvassing are part and parcel. But I feel that from the past three years or so, there's a lot of noise on a particular topic - 'Hindustan - A Hindu Rashtra!?.' I must say, I was and I am quite intrigued and curious to understand. Now all the words I mentioned above have been used multi-million times everyday around 9:00 PM in almost every household of the country. The members of these families have been passive listeners and active thinkers.
What is the debate?
"India should be a Hindu Rashtra." There are influential people who either go with the motion or against it. I am a common Hindustani. I listened, I read, I thought, I tried, to understand. So to start with, I feel there's a need to understand the word 'HINDU' in 'HINDU Rashtra'. Where does this word come from? Is it only limited to religion? or Is there more depth to the word 'HINDU'?
According to what I have understood, HINDU is the area between Himalayas and Indusagar (Indian Ocean). Therefore, H + Indus becomes Hindus. This means Hindustan is a country which lives between these. SO Hindu is not just a religion. Everybody who was born and brought up here is a Hindu by geography. I am a Hindu by birth(geographically).
I also feel that every country has a culture. American culture means the American way of life. Japanese culture means the Japanese way of life. Similarly Hindu culture means the Hindu/Indian way of life. To understand this point, let us take marriage as an example. According to statistics, nearly 50% of marriages in America end up in divorce. Americans accept divorcees without judging them. They don't see divorce as morally wrong rather they consider it as practically correct. Whereas in India the divorce rate is as low as around 1%(source - India Today 20 November 2018). Irrespective of any religion one practices in India, divorce is rare. I don't wish to get into what's right and wrong about divorce. That's another debate. But marriages in India exist generally until death separates the two. Everyone in India irrespective of their religion, works upon her/his marriage and divorce is the last and least possibility. This attitude comes from culture. That is an example of Indian (Hindu) culture. The reason why I cite America and India is that both these countries are democratic and both have citizens following various religions. Hence HINDU is a culture. A christian in India is christian by religious following but HINDU by culture(you may replace any other religion with christian). I am HINDU by culture.
Is there any other reason why we are a HINDU rashtra? YES.
Let me explain with another metaphorical example. India has been known as an agrarian nation even when Agriculture has had lesser contribution to GDP (labour productivity wise and actual contribution). We are agrarian because more than half of Indian employment has been generated by the Primary (Agro-based) sector. When majority of the population is agrarian, we are known as an agrarian nation. In the same way, when nearly 80% population in this country follows Hinduism as a religion, we become a Hindu rashtra. I am a HINDU by my religious following as well.
This HINDU RASHTRA respects each religion, belief and spirituality. It accepts the believer, the athiest and the agnostic as well. Therefore the debate that 'Are we a HINDU Rashtra?' is a no-debate. There is no doubt about it. We are what we are, HINDU - by Geography, by Culture and by majority population's faith.
