[Reader-list] Fwd:Understanding Hindutva

[Fatima]

Dear Lalit
Ethnic cleansing of Hindu pandits in Kashmir certainly needs to be condemned - no body is justifying that. I never claimed that Kashmiri Muslims or Muslims in general or Arabs welcome everyone in their fold. It is you made the claim that "Hindus have always welcomed persecuted communities from the entire world". So why are they persecuting their fellow Indians now in Kandhamal?

F


--- On Wed, 15/10/08, Lalit Ambardar <lalitambardar at hotmail.com> wrote:

> From: Lalit Ambardar <lalitambardar at hotmail.com>
> Subject: RE: [Reader-list] Fwd:Understanding Hindutva
> To: sadiafwahidi at yahoo.co.in, reader-list at sarai.net, "Rohan DSouza" <virtuallyme at gmail.com>
> Date: Wednesday, 15 October, 2008, 10:55 PM
> Dear Sadia,
> Are you suggesting that the Hindus are persecuting? 
> Hope you are'nt justifying ethnic cleansing of Hindu
> Pandits in Kashmir?
> Let us condemn violence both physical as well as mental
> & not be selective about it.
> Regards all
> LA
> 
>  
> 
> 
> 
> > Date: Wed, 15 Oct 2008 13:13:35 +0530> From:
> sadiafwahidi at yahoo.co.in> Subject: Re: [Reader-list]
> Fwd:Understanding Hindutva> To: reader-list at sarai.net;
> virtuallyme at gmail.com; lalitambardar at hotmail.com> >
> Dear Lalit> If, according to you "Hindus have
> welcome all persecuted communities from world over",
> why are Hindu-persecuted communities taking refuge today in
> the forests and relief camps in Orissa, Gujarat, Karnataka,
> Maharashtra, Andhra?> > SF> > > --- On Tue,
> 14/10/08, Rohan DSouza <virtuallyme at gmail.com>
> wrote:> > > From: Rohan DSouza
> <virtuallyme at gmail.com>> > Subject:
> [Reader-list] Fwd:Understanding Hindutva> > To:
> reader-list at sarai.net> > Date: Tuesday, 14 October,
> 2008, 9:42 AM> > Dear All,> > > > Am
> forwarding an interesting article which explores the>
> > concept of Hindutva> > and tries to point out the
> differences between it and> > Hinduism. The author>
> > puts forward the theory that Hindutva is a
> political> > project, grounded in> > the
> principles and practices of Fascism, aimed at creating>
> > and maintaining> > an authoritarian state, with
> suppressive control over human> > beings.> >
> > > He also brings out the difference between the
> inclusive,> > open approach of> > Hinduism and
> the exclusive, suppressive ideas of Hindutva.> > >
> > Thought Ill forward this piece to this list as there
> have> > been many> > discussions around similar
> issues.> > > > Regards,> > Rohan> >
> ________________________________________________________________________>
> >
> ________________________________________________________________________>
> > UNDERSTANDING HINDUTVA - by Averthanus L.> >
> D'Souza.> > Posted by: "SJPRASHANT,
> Ahmedabad"> > sjprashant at gmail.com> > Date:
> Sun Oct 12, 2008 8:40 pm ((PDT))> > > >
> UNDERSTANDING HINDUTVA> > - Averthanus L.
> D'Souza.> > > > Ramesh Rajaram Vispute, a
> former Secretary of the Vishwa> > Hindu Parishad>
> > (VHP) once remarked: "The enemies of the Hindus
> are> > the Muslims, the> > Christians, the Hindu
> intellectuals and the media." > > It is very
> significant> > as well as intriguing that Vispute
> included the Hindu> > intellectuals and the> >
> media in his category of the "enemies" of
> Hindus.> > It does not take great> >
> intellectual acumen to interpret the meaning of this>
> > statement by a very> > prominent Hindutva
> promoter. It is quite obvious that > > Hindu
> intellectuals> > (nor any other reasonably educated
> person for that matter)> > will refuse to> >
> swallow the confused gibberish which is churned out by>
> > the Hindutva> > propagandists to arouse anger and
> hatred against Muslims> > and Christians,> > for
> which the VHP is so notorious. Any thinking person> >
> (including Hindu> > "intellectuals") will
> see through the falsity of> > the arguments which the
> VHP> > advances in its hate campaigns. It is precisely
> because> > the position of the> > Hindutva
> campaign is irrational and untenable that the> >
> propagandists prefer> > to recruit uneducated and
> unthinking followers who can> > easily be
> manipulated> > to believe anything that is fed to
> them. The Bajrang> > Dal, which is> > considered
> to be the front-rank of the storm-troopers of> > the
> VHP is a good> > example of uneducated youth, with
> more passion than reason,> > who are willing> >
> to blindly follow orders without thinking, and who are>
> > conditioned to> > believe that heroism consists
> in slaughtering helpless> > women and children,>
> > and burning innocent people alive. In this respect
> the> > Bajrang Dal is no> > different from the
> Hitler Youth of Nazi Germany or the> > youth brigades
> of the> > other fascist movements in Europe who were
> used to> > terrorize the population> > into
> submission. With their saffron head-bands and> >
> wielding 'trishuls',> > and screaming
> full-throated war-cries, these rampaging> > gangs can
> cause> > terror anywhere - which is precisely what
> they are trained> > to do. They are> >
> 'programmed' to follow orders, irrespective of
> the> > morality of the orders or> > the
> consequences which follow. B.S. Moonje, a prominent> >
> RSS leader,> > personally met the Italian fascist
> leader Benito Mussolini> > in Rome on 19> >
> March, 1931, visited some important military schools and>
> > educational> > institutions and became acquainted
> with the Balilla and the> > Avanguardisti> >
> organizations. Moonje wrote in his diary that the> >
> keystone of the fascist> > system is the
> 'indoctrination' of youths, rather> > than
> education. This is> > the foundation on which the
> Bajrang Dal is built.> > > > While cultivated
> ignorance of the youth is one facet which> > is
> promoted by> > the Hindutva ideologues, deliberate
> falsification of> > current facts as well> > as
> of History is another method of indoctrination used. >
> > Lal .Krishna.> > Advani closely studied the
> system of propaganda developed> > by Nazi Germany.>
> > He says: "In Nazi Germany, fascism in action>
> > developed two other> > distinctive
> characteristics: firstly, adoption of> > propaganda as
> a key> > instrument of State policy; and secondly, the
> systematic > > development of a> > demonology to
> keep the masses in a mood of perpetual> > tension and
> hysteria."> > (L.K.Advani- "A Prisoner's
> Scrap Book" ) > > Advani and his colleagues
> have> > tried hard to refine and improve upon the>
> > propaganda-cum-terror machinery> > which was
> developed by Nazi Germany,specially by> >
> Hitler's most trusted> > lieutenant Paul Joseph
> Goebbels, whose name has now become> > synonymous
> with> > high-voltage mendacious propaganda.> >
> > > One of the more prominent falsifications which the
> Hindutva> > protagonists are> > propagating is
> that Hindutva is an integral part of> > Hinduism. No
> sensible> > person, (including thinking Hindus)
> accepts this claim. > > In fact, the vast> >
> majority of Hindus are aghast at this identification of>
> > Hinduism with> > Hindutva. Hinduism is a highly
> respected religion of> > long standing. It> > is
> recognized (even by non-Hindus) as being, perhaps, one>
> > of the oldest> > religions in human history. It
> outlived the ancient> > religions of the> >
> Sumerians, the Etruscans, the Mesopotamians the Greeks
> and> > the Egyptians.> > Hinduism has always
> been associated with> > 'sanatana' which
> denotes> > timelessness or ancientness. Hinduism has
> never been> > associated with any> > particular
> political system; nor has it ever shown a> >
> preference for any> > particular cultural context. In
> the broadest sense of the> > word, Hinduism> >
> is "heterodox" and embraces a vast variety of>
> > rituals, beliefs, popular> > practices and
> dietary preferences. In the Bhagavad Gita,> > Lord
> Krishna> > tells Arjuna: "Through whatever path
> men come to me, I> > accept them through> > that
> very path."> > > > In sharp contrast to
> Hinduism as a religion, Hindutva is> > a clearly>
> > distinguishable "political" ideology which
> is> > straining to concoct a> >
> "national" identity based on the Hindu
> religion.> > Hindutva is a clearly> > fascist
> political movement, which has drawn much of its> >
> inspiration from> > European fascism and German
> Nazism. The most prominent> > protagonists of> >
> Hindutva, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar (1902 - 1966), Madhav>
> > Sadashiv> > Golwalkar (1906 - 1973) and Shyama
> Prasad Mukherjee (1901 -> > 1953) among> >
> others, have derived their ideologies from European
> fascism> > and modified it> > to suit Indian
> conditions. In fact, Pravin Togadia the> >
> "International> > General Secretary" of the
> VHP explicitly says that> > India is a Hindu
> Rashtra> > since millennia, and that Hindutva is not a
> religion but a> > synonym for Hindu> >
> nationalism. It should be quite clear, therefore, that>
> > the rejection of> > the claims of Hindutva cannot
> be construed as being> > anti-Hinduism. In> >
> fact, it is precisely because of the distortion of> >
> Hinduism by the Hindutva> > brigade that the Hindu
> intellectuals have rejected it. > > The Hindutva>
> > fanatics thrive on spreading this confusion between>
> > Hindutva and Hinduism.> > They have been able to
> increase their popularity because> > they repeat
> the> > (false) propaganda that the promotion of
> Hindutva is the> > promotion of> > Hinduism>
> > > > There are many distortions which the Hindutva
> fascists have> > wrought on> > Hinduism. Suffice
> it to indicate only a few blatant> > contradictions
> in> > their propaganda.> > > > One:
> Hindutva is supposedly a movement to create a Hindu> >
> "Rashtra". The> > secularism enshrined in
> the Indian Constitution is> > violently rejected by
> the> > Hindutva protagonists. At the same time they
> have made a> > conscious and> > vigorous effort
> to create an "international" > > Hindu
> community. The> > formation of the "World Hindu
> Council" and the> > creation of the post of
> an> > "International General Secretary" of
> the VHP is a> > clear contradiction of the> >
> claim that Hindutva is limited to the objective of
> creating> > a Hindu> > "nation." This
> contradiction is obvious to> > every sane person,
> except, of> > course, the rabid Hindutva
> ideologues.> > > > The claim made by Pravin
> Togadia that Hindutva as a> > "Rashtra" has
> existed> > since millennia is patently false. By all
> historical> > accounts, whether in> > ancient or
> mediaeval India, there were several> >
> "kingdoms" or "empires."> > Among
> the more well-known ancient empires were the Mauryan>
> > empire of> > Chandragupta Maurya ( approx. 326
> B.C. to 184 B.C.) and> > the Asokan empire> >
> (approx. 269 B.C. to 232 B.C.) There were also other>
> > lesser kingdoms like> > those of Kushana. In the
> south there were the numerous> > kingdoms of> >
> Adilshah, the Pandyan and Chola kingdoms, the Chalukyan>
> > dynasty and the> > Vijayanagaran kingdom (1336 to
> 1567 A.D.) and the better> > known Maratha> >
> Kingdom whose best known figure is Shivaji. In the> >
> course of history, all> > these kingdoms were in
> conflict with one or another with a> > view to
> expand> > their fiefdom or to retrieve lands which had
> been taken> > away by force.> > There was never
> a "nation" called India. Even> > after the
> gaining of> > political independence from Britain in
> 1947, it was left> > to Sardar> > Vallabhbhai
> Patel to consolidate the various major and> > minor
> kingdoms into a> > unified Nation. It is indisputable
> that it was under> > Pandit Jawaharlal> > Nehru
> and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel that the so-called> >
> "Princely States" were> > abolished and
> integrated into the State of India, which,> > for the
> first time> > in its entire history adopted a
> Constitution which was to> > govern the> >
> "Nation." The falsity of the VHP's claim>
> > that India was always a Hindu> >
> "rashtra" is proven by the very fact that it
> is> > still seeking to "create"> > the
> Hindu Rashtra of its dream.> > > > Two: the VHP
> claims that people who profess and practice> > other
> religions> > cannot be part of the Hindu Rashtra. This
> is in stark> > contradiction to the> > repeated
> statements made by the Hindutva leaders that> >
> Hindutva is a> > "secular" concept. In fact,
> they claim that they> > are secular precisely> >
> because they are Hindu. They accuse non-Hindus of being>
> > "pseudo-secular."> > They continue to
> trumpet this obvious contradiction that> > only Hindus
> are> > secular and the followers of all other
> religions are not> > secular. Yet,> > they also
> claim that Hindutva is a "composite"> >
> culture which embraces a> > variety of religions,
> cults, languages and ethnic cultures.> > The
> Hindutva> > ideologues have never been able to
> reconcile this glaring> > contradiction in> >
> their position. If Hindutva "embraces" other >
> > ethnic cultures, why is it> > that they are
> systematically forcing tribals (who are not,> > and
> never have> > been, Hindu) to "convert" to
> Hinduism? On the> > one hand they have> >
> sponsored so-called "Freedom of Religion"> >
> legislation in many States;> > because they are
> ostensibly opposed to conversions by> > force, fraud
> or> > inducements; yet on the other hand, they
> themselves are> > forcibly> >
> "converting" tribals, members of scheduled
> castes> > and followers of other> > religions.
> They offer the lame and unconvincing argument> > that
> they are only> > bringing back these people to the
> Hindu fold. They have> > called this> > movement
> a "ghar vapasi." The fact is that the> >
> tribals have never been> > Hindu. They have their own
> culture, religion and social> > practices.
> "Ghar> > vapasi" in their case simply does
> not make any sense.> > Former Indian Prime> >
> Minister, V.P. Singh has rightly pointed out that> >
> "ultimately what they are> > aiming at is
> authoritarian rule. Then not only will the> >
> minorities be> > targeted, but also those who do not
> agree with them. You> > will be declared an> >
> anti-national and treated thus."> > > > One
> of the more prominent characteristics of any> >
> dictatorial political> > movement is the systematic
> creation of confusion in the> > minds of the> >
> citizens so that they can never be sure of what the
> truth> > is. This is done> > in two ways. One is
> to spread rumours through the cadres> > of
> grassroots> > level workers, and another is to
> simultaneously issue> > "official"
> statements> > "clarifying" the official
> position on any> > particular issue. This is a
> very> > subtle psychological game which is being
> played by the top> > leadership of the> >
> Hindutva brigade. Citizens need to be aware of this and>
> > not fall into the> > trap which is deliberately
> created by the Hindutva> > ideologues. A glaringly>
> > example of this "double-speak" is the fact
> that> > the Bajrang Dal leaders in> > Karnataka
> have openly stated on TV channels that they are> >
> responsible for> > the attacks against Christian
> churches, institutions and> > personnel. At the>
> > same time, the BJP government in Karnataka and the
> VHP> > leadership insist> > that the Bajrang Dal
> had nothing to do with the attacks.> > > > There
> are too many contradictions in the propaganda arsenal>
> > of the Sangh> > Parivar to be treated at length
> in a brief essay, but this> > short analysis> >
> will, perhaps, help to pinpoint the contradictions:> >
> > > Hindu Nationalism v/s International Hindu
> Solidarity.> > > > The entire Hindutva movement
> is grounded on the principle> > that India is a>
> > Hindu nation, and that only Hindus can enjoy rights
> of> > citizenship in India.> > In this view,
> Muslims and Christians, in particular, but> > also
> Jews,> > Parsis, Buddhists and Jains, are viewed as
> non-Indian. > > Each time a violent> > attack is
> carried out against Muslims or Christians, the> >
> Bajrang Dal> > terrorists shout that the Muslims and
> Christians should> > either become Hindus> > or
> leave the country. Islam and Christianity are> >
> considered to be> > "impositions" by foreign
> Muslim conquerors or by> > Western Christian> >
> missionaries. The teachings of V.D. Savarkar and M.S.>
> > Golwalkar are very> > explicit about this.
> According to them, non-Hindus cannot> > enjoy rights
> of> > citizenship. The Muslims are constantly warned
> that their> > continued> > presence in India is
> entirely dependent on the> > "goodwill" of
> the Hindus and> > the Christians are
> "advised" to form an Indian> > Church under
> the complete> > control of the Indian Government,
> similar to the National> > Church in China.> >
> The so-called principle is constantly repeated that only>
> > those who sever> > their links with any
> international community and become> > entirely Hindu
> will> > be tolerated in (an Hindutva ruled) India.>
> > > > The stark contradiction in this position is
> the fact that> > Hindutva is Not> > confined to
> the geographical territory of India; it is> > sought
> to be made an> > international religion. Ever since
> the famous Parliament> > of Religions was> >
> addressed by Swami Vivekananda, in Chicago the> >
> "missionary" dimension of> > Hinduism was
> begun with the formation of the Vedanta> > Society in
> 1893 in New> > York. Today there are Hindu
> "missions" all> > over the world, in the
> U.S.A.,> > in Europe, in the Pacific Islands, in the
> West Indies, and> > in South Africa.> > The
> claim that Hindutva is a movement to establish a> >
> Hindu "Rashtra," is,> > therefore, patently
> false. The comparison with the> > expansionist
> movement> > of Nazi Germany is too striking to be
> missed. First it> > started with the> >
> unification of German speaking countries; then it was>
> > extended to include> > all people of Aryan ethnic
> stock. Since racial> > characteristics could not
> be> > "assimilated" the Nazis began a
> systematic> > extermination, first of the> >
> Jewish people and then of other "tainted" races.
> > > The Hindutva claim to> > form a Hindu
> Rashtra, is, on the face of it, a huge fraud> >
> perpetrated by the> > Hindutva ideologues. From a
> close examination of the> > literature available,>
> > it is clear that the Hindutva brigade wants to
> establish a> > theocratic Hindu> > State in
> India, not dissimilar to the Islamic State of> >
> neighbouring> > Pakistan.> > > > Tolerance
> v/s xenophobia.> > > > Another myth which has
> been created by the Hindutva> > protagonists is
> the> > claim that Hindutva is a tolerant ideology and
> is based on> > secular values.> > This is far
> from the truth. Hindutva is a blatantly> > intolerant
> movement> > which thrives on spreading hatred and fear
> among people. > > In fact it is so> > intolerant
> that it seeks to re-write history, which,> > according
> to it, has> > been written by
> "pseudo-secularists." Its> > distortion of
> history is so> > blatant that it has even created the
> myth that Asoka and> > Chandragupta> > Maurya
> were Hindu kings. This is a blatant falsification> >
> of History. All> > reliable sources tell us that Asoka
> ruled over a Buddhist> > kingdom, and that> >
> Chandragupta Maurya was strongly associated with the
> Jaina> > tradition. The> > Hindutva view of
> history is not based on scientific> > research, but on
> an> > imagination running wild. The Hindutva> >
> "historians" are worthy disciples> > of
> Goebbels who taught that if you repeat a lie over and>
> > over again, people> > will soon begin to accept
> it as the truth.> > > > If Hindutva is a
> tolerant political ideology which respects> > secular
> values,> > why is it that in all the States which are
> ruled by the BJP> > there is a> > systematic
> attack against Christians and Muslims? Why is> > it
> that tribals,> > who are not, and never have been,
> Hindu are being> > terrorized into converting> >
> to Hinduism?> > > > The Hindutva fanatics claim
> that they are against> > conversion by force,
> fraud> > or by material inducements. In fact they
> accuse the> > Christians of having> > converted
> Hindus by offering such material inducements. > > Yet,
> the duplicity> > of their claims is starkly evident in
> the fact that> > wherever they have> > attacked
> the Christians, independent Commissions of> > Enquiry
> have not been> > able to confirm a single case of
> conversion by the use of> > fraud, force or> >
> material inducement. The Laws in India are very clear>
> > about such> > conversions. If the Hindutva
> terrorists have any evidence> > of such> >
> conversions, they should have recourse to the Law. > >
> Instead, they resort to> > violence and terror against
> helpless, innocent and weak> > communities. They>
> > themselves use force to (re)convert people.> >
> > > The Hindutva movement is built on the foundations
> of> > falsehood, force and> > terror. In times
> of natural calamities, like the> > earthquake in
> Gujarat,> > they prevented anyone else from assisting
> the affected> > people. They sought> > exclusive
> rights to dispense aid, but they distributed this> >
> aid in a highly> > reprehensible manner. Muslim
> victims were carefully and> > deliberately> >
> excluded. Others were given aid only on condition that>
> > they swore to> > remain or to become Hindu. There
> is voluminous evidence> > of such> >
> discrimination even in times of dire affliction. And>
> > these very people> > claim that Hindutva is a
> humanitarian and generous> > movement.> > >
> > Citizens need to be aware of the duplicity of the
> Hindutva> > movement. They> > should examine all
> their claims critically; and most of> > all,
> citizens> > should not be beguiled into believing that
> the Hindutva> > movement has any> > redeeming
> features. It is an unmitigated evil.> > > > The
> battle lines are very clear. We Indians, of all> >
> faiths, varieties of> > cultures and languages, are
> facing a grave threat to the> > secular,> >
> democratic and pluri-cultural fabric of our society. We>
> > need to join> > forces to defeat the evil forces
> of fascism and> > authoritarianism. The> > fight
> is not between Hinduism and other religions. The > >
> fight is really> > between secularism and democracy,
> on the one hand, and> > fascism on the other.> >
> > > Averthanus L. D'Souza,> > D-13, La
> Marvel Colony,> > Dona Paula, Goa 403 004.> >
> Tel: 2453628> >
> _________________________________________> >
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