[Reader-list] Pune: Hindutva terror?

[TaraPrakash]

I was born a Hindu and never went through convertion. I have read a lot of 
Hindu scriptures. I don't think forgetting and forgiving a good virtue. 
However, I was overwhelmed and struck by a respectable christian woman whose 
husband was killed by Bajrang Dal activists and she forgave the murderers of 
her husband.
Priyanka Gandhi also offered some generous forgiving gestures towards an 
accomplice in her father's assassination but some mails on this list have 
suggested in the past that Priyanka is not a hindu

I think Mother Terresa is also a good example of people who could forget and 
forgive. What is common in these 3 examples? They at least had one parent 
who was not born in Indian subcontinent.

There is a religion common to all in the subcontinent. Whenever you can 
descriminate and work against the "other", enjoy doing it with ruthlessness. 
This is what the JDU BJP alliance did when they outsted an honest Muslim 
minister in Bihar when he raised his voice against corruption in the 
government. He was the "other" not only because he was a muslim but also 
because an unusual honest person among the clique of corrupt people.


Shuddha and Javed might point towards descrimination against Muslims in 
India, I can also point towards descrimination against those who are 
minorities in the minority institutions. Take the case of a professor in 
Aligarh Muslim University. He was sacked for his alleged homosexual 
activities, not in the university, but at home. This professor is a minority 
because he is not a muslim and also because probably he is gay.

So, if we have a common culture, it does not teach us to forget and forgive, 
it teaches to discriminate against the other. And remember the term 
originally was based on geography. based on Indus (sindhu) river so all in 
the subcontinent are Hindu.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jigish Parikh" <parikhjigish at gmail.com>
To: <reader-list at sarai.net>
Sent: Sunday, February 21, 2010 11:08 AM
Subject: [Reader-list] Pune: Hindutva terror?


> Shuddha,
>
> You raised a valid point about people getting worked up
> on specific words. Let me share my two cents on it.
> A well-read person would not question the fact that history of Muslims
> in general in context to
> Indian subcontinent is full of waging wars, destroying/looting
> properties and temples. Texts such as
> Akabar Nama or Aurngzeb-nama or any other nama describes in details
> how Muslim invaders' sole motivation was terrorizing & wiping out
> Hindu kingdoms. "Terror" or terrorizing others is not alien to
> Muslims. It has been their easy escape to
> competition,injustice,imperialism or whatever. If in doubts, refer
> books which will precisely point out every single invasion and
> accounts of
> destruction or even verse of the namas that praise those acts.
>
> Now lets talk about a Hindu. When was the last time a Hindu invaded,
> deliberately planned destruction of anyone ? Despite centuries of
> oppression, slavery,
> rapes and murders of their woman ? Can anyone enlighten me ?
>
> The idea of inflicting violence/harm to others is TOTALLY "alien" to
> Hindus. We are the people with "Forget and forgive" attitude not because 
> we
> are cowards/incapable but our ancient texts teaches us to live life that 
> way.
>
> So, when some half-learned, self-appointed scholars  associate the word 
> "terror"
> with Hindu it is no surprise that lot of people get uncomfortable. Can
> one of these self-proclaimed
> scholar explain me suddenly how and specially why "now" Hindu
> mentality changed particularly in a "liberated", democratic India when
> misery
> of Hindus is no where close to as in their worst times.
>
> Actually by doing this(associating word "terror" with Hindu)
> stupid,careless and mind-less media is fermenting a divide in
> the society and pushing very silent and moderate sections of Hindu
> society towards
> the right.
>
> The least I expect from every Hindu to understand this.
>
> -- 
> Thank you,
> Jigish Parikh.
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