[Reader-list] Are Hindus ‘others’?

Fri Apr 16 20:45:50 IST 2010

Rajen,

Do you have manuscript, any inscription, any book from say 16th century or
before referring to the word 'Hindu'? What is the basis of 5000 years claim?
i think it is a blanket claim by a bunch of historians who have cheated
their professions to embrace a religion or have a cushy position in their
social sphere.

Why are we over and over again trying unite people in the name of a single
religion? Dont you see the inherent problems in doing so?

You are reducing these vast and diverse religious practices represented by
various schools of thought which differed not just in thought but in
actions, in its ethics and clubbing them together in this uncomfortable mass
called Hindu. It is deplorable because it is a profit making agenda of the
Hindutva vadis which now wants to be the new colonisers of this ancient land
mass.

I want to be a part of a realistic past, so that the future is comfortable
and intelligible too, not some doped out imagination of quacks who are
turning this into a money making exercise by marginalising the practices of
the indigenous communities. This marginalization has been done by replacing
the adivasi deities and their nature-worships with the promise of some vague
god (who probably rides on a spaceship) called Ram.
Instead of talking about Adi Guru Shankara, the proponent of Advaita or
Samkhya muni, Kapil, you are misguiding the readers with colourful examples
of Ashwamedha rituals which is nothing but a way to conquer lands.

For a collective imagination to develop, we do not need the support of the
religion, i feel. a personal belief in whoever is your Savior is alright.
there is no need to create national identity based on a religion. it has
been done, it has failed miserably.

But this is your democratic right to assert opinion and then you take it
forward by telling other readers about your experience. I think you have
never studied hindu religion but kept on telling everyone that it is a way
of life. If it is a way of life, why do widows cannot remarry even now? How
is it possible that honour killings happen now? why so many of these widows
languish in Varanasi, with some priest promising them of moksha if they
follow such and such ritual? Does your experience have these answers?

LET MY RELIGION BE UNCATEGORISED. UNDEFINED. enough of damages in the name
of religion.

Anupam

On Fri, Apr 16, 2010 at 7:53 PM, Rajendra Bhat Uppinangadi <
rajen786uppinangady at gmail.com> wrote:

> Well, Pawan,
> there is no ambiguity as far as hindu is concerned, as being hindu is being
> humane, and it is a way of life, with known , recorded history of over 5000
> years, if compared to any other ways of life of followers of any faith,
> particularly Abrahamic, starting from Judaism, to christianity to islam,
> all
> have atmost, the recorded history of about 2400 years.!
> Even as a society, hindu and followers of hindu way of life are a divided
> lot thanks to the invasions, not aggressions that you can talk about, as
> hindu way of life and the kingdoms never aggressed by violence, but
> established their rule of kingdom by letting loose a horse, decorated with
> insignia of kingdom, and the ritual was known as Ashwamedha, the kings
> recognised this, chose to be under the rule of the stronger kingdom, by
> agreeing the rule of that kingdom, and the king, then known as
> Chakravarthy,but with influx of other followers of different faiths,
> gradual
> conversion in society started to be close to rulers, thus the hindu way of
> life accepted other faiths, the ways of life, adopted the good of those
> faiths, thus life of all became peaceful and harmonious, but later the
> democratic rule where the rulers started the society on language, region,
> religion and faith, those who did not have faith, atheists had a rallying
> point in Karl marx.
> Secular did not mean any thing more than respect to all faiths, to the
> followers of all faith, in governnce, but in practice it became a tool to
> divide the hindu segment in to castes, dominent castes labelling themselves
> as Other Backward castes, who were in fact the rulers and ruling class in
> the kingdoms.!
> Thus democracy only made further divisions of HINDU segment of the society,
> weak, weaker than the most minor followers of any other faith.!
> Regards,
> Rajen.
>
> On Fri, Apr 16, 2010 at 7:02 PM, Pawan Durani <pawan.durani at gmail.com
> >wrote:
>
> > I share a subject line as it is from a respectable newspaper.
> >
> > And the fact about the subject can be ascertained not shouted down.
> >
> >
> >
> > On Fri, Apr 16, 2010 at 6:28 PM, anupam chakravartty <c.anupam at gmail.com
> > >wrote:
> >
> > > Really ridiculous. on one hand, you want send mails after mails
> demanding
> > > punishment for Sajjan Kumar and Tytler for killing sikhs, while you
> post
> > > ridiculous issue about religion with a subject line: "are hindu
> others".
> > can
> > > you stop this divisive political agendas here?
> > >
> > >
> > > On Fri, Apr 16, 2010 at 6:23 PM, Pawan Durani <pawan.durani at gmail.com
> > >wrote:
> > >
> > >> Iftedah he Sicokular Ishq mein ..Sari raat jaage ....Allah jaane Kya
> > Hoga
> >  >> Aage ....
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> http://www.dailypioneer.com/249530/Are-Hindus-‘others’.html<
> > >>
> >
> http://www.dailypioneer.com/249530/Are-Hindus-%E2%80%98others%E2%80%99.html
> > >> >
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> *Are Hindus ‘others’?*
> > >>
> > >> *Abhishek Anshu | New Delhi*
> > >>
> > >> *GGSIPU admission form raises eyebrows*
> > >>
> > >> In an apparent error of omission on the part of authorities, Guru
> Gobind
> > >> Singh Indraprastha University (GGSIPU) has asked all applicants to
> > mention
> > >> their religion in the admission form by marking the appropriate
> option,
> > >> but
> > >> failed to provide that of ‘Hindu’ even though all minority faiths are
> > >> listed
> > >> specifically.
> > >>
> > >> Those belonging to the Hindu religion are, therefore, left with no
> > choice
> > >> but to indicate their faith by ticking the ‘Others’ column on the
> list.
> > >>
> > >> While such a format has sparked widespread confusion and panic among
> > >> students and applicants, IP University Vice-Chancellor Prof DK
> > >> Bandyo-padhyay has said by way of clarification that the “column
> > contains
> > >> minority religions and Hindu falls in the category of ‘Others’”.
> > >>
> > >> “This is nothing unusual as it is known to all that Hindus are the
> > >> majority.
> > >> The ‘religion’ column has minorities in it and the Hindu students
> should
> > >> fill out the ‘Others’ option given in the religion column of the
> form,”
> > >> said
> > >> Bandyopadhyay.
> > >>
> > >> The V-C added that in the form, SC/ST/OBC and ‘Others’ are separate
> > >> options.
> > >> “In the form, we have the options of Minorities, SC/ST/OBC and
> ‘Others’.
> > >> Hindus, being the majority, should fill up ‘Others’,” he said. All
> > >> explanations notwithstanding, students are still perplexed about how
> to
> > >> fill
> > >> the admission forms and some of them are even in a state of panic.
> > >>
> > >> “I filled up the application form but when I got to the religion
> column,
> > I
> > >> got confused as ‘Hindu’ was nowhere on the page. I have filled forms
> of
> > >> various universities but this is for the first time I have seen
> > something
> > >> like this,” Aarushi, an applicant, said.
> > >>
> > >> She added she had to reread the admission brochure to confirm there
> were
> > >> no
> > >> printing errors. “I was scared there was a printing error. After going
> > >> through the brochure, I learnt that the option was simply not
> > mentioned,”
> > >> she said. IP University was hit by controversy recently when over
> 1,000
> > >> fake
> > >> admission forms were submitted by applicants.
> > >> _________________________________________
> > >> reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city.
> > >> Critiques & Collaborations
> > >> To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with
> > >> subscribe in the subject header.
> > >> To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list
> > >> List archive: &lt;https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/>
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > _________________________________________
> > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city.
> > Critiques & Collaborations
> > To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with
> > subscribe in the subject header.
> > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list
> > List archive: &lt;https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/>
> >
>
>
>
> --
> Rajen.
> _________________________________________
> reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city.
> Critiques & Collaborations
> To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with
> subscribe in the subject header.
> To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list
> List archive: &lt;https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/>
>