[Reader-list] Help: A HINDU plight

[subhrodip sengupta]

At University of Delhi, there are Christian Colleges, Sikh Colleges and Hindu coleges. There is a Department of Buddhist studies as well. So far so good. I am not going into politics at a more advanced level and organisation and division within these communities, as irrelevant and not generally, leaving out special cases, which I have reckoned do exist,but more subtlely, not openly. I reckon there is a Muslim University around, but that does not bother me. Religion gives people values to live. These people are masses who do not go to Crore Funded Universities and do not spend a lot of time reading, writing and are certainly not the most competent, are naturally opaque and religion is their language a sense of piety. The symbolls affect the sub-conscience like tonic to the mind and body. I do not have any problem with practice of any religion per-se, unless that hurts  me. Bur what hurts is relative. Noboody Dares to say in Stephen's morning Prayer I
 wanna perform Hindu rites, leave alone challenge the doctrines of the Church. No body even wants a Hindu administrator. At Khalsa, the Akali Board is Supremo, no challenges to indiscriminate using of religious symbolls on administrative orders etc. These are miniroty institutions indeed. As long as good tasks are done, I do not object to any of these. There are Restricted Holidays, why can there be no grants on individual basis, subject to some maximum. At west bengal, a Central Govt order banned giving any money by government institutions to community and cultural identity which pertained to some religion. The Durga Puja feast became more expensive to all of us Hindus Muslims,Sikhs and Buddhists who participated in the feast.
Thats it, the end of the problem. At the same time a state govt aided minority intitution, St Xavier's school raised huge funds for errection of an expensive Mother Mary statue, by a grand Waterfall and a new catholic church. Sponsores here no catholic board, but Loacal Hindu majority guardians who reeled under continuous pressure and intimidation. Still I did not go on a rampage. Today, at my institution there is no temple. It is illegal, nor do I demand a seperate hall of prayer or dispute to divide the followers or may be simply because there is no space already in the parking lot! A small  place for Hanumanji, Shivji, Ramachandra, Manasa, Kali, and a holy Banyan tree. There are no barrs even shoe-opening is optional unless one touches the shrine. At some places bricks denote some area. I oppose it as Saffron millitancy. That is true. At the same time some people are trying to bring down this place as well. Before exams and after long hard days, it
 provided us some solace. I never visited any other local temple. A few people are wanting to bring down these shrines. It makes the place of worship, read institution loose it's piety they say. I Urge them to build there own shrines, no-holds-barred. We too do not restrct rites to a brahmin. They Urge us to build a common Hall of prayer.  This place has played a pivotal role to our culture. Our pious seniours introduced us. We get unofficial here and come with purity. May be a secular hall shall be more for the educated, articulate people, and may be the chain of command hold intact. People would not certainly discuss religion there, nor culture. Silence would be the rule! Definitely, we would loose. Secular Government is on their side. IT recognises all trusts but not Hindu dieties. We can not protect our place of worship, nor our culture We are Hindus. Others can. Still I hold my flag against Saffron millitancy and Pagri Race! Strange, perhaps,
 strange indeed.


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