Importance of Hinduism During Independent India

      During first half of 20th century, people from across India got involved in the struggle for Independence from Colonial Rule of Great Britain. All types of energies got diverted to mobilize protests and demonstrations to create civil disobedience so that the foreign rulers are forced to go back. Under the leadership of Congress and inspirations of Mahatma Gandhi, all castes and creed, religion and sectarian variations got galvanized to keep their differences aside and contribute their might to support for freeing the nation. People from all walks of life including social thinkers, religious leaders, educationists, professionals, even farmers and workers and all sorts of self employed people from all age groups contributed towards a single objective of freeing India. This did not leave much room for growth on any religious front. Hinduism was no exception and practically there was no worthwhile progress to write about.

Hinduism in Indipendent India

      To start with, Indian Muslims were also equal partner in this endeavour. For first two decades of the century, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, who was active member in Congress had also acquired prominent position in Muslim League, argued in favour of unity among Hindus and Muslims. But by 1940, his political ambitions forced him to change his stand and he also started to push his weight behind "two nations" theory. Leaving the political discussions away, suffice to say that 1947 saw independence for India and Pakistan came to existence which involved migrations of about 10 million people from one place to another, largest ever in human history, and more than half a million got killed in Hindu and Sikh vs Muslim violence on both sides of demarcated borders. The distrust between these communities had never reached to such heights before.

      Most Hindus were obviously on Indian side and the political leadership decided to build a modern nation where people from all castes and religions were to live harmoniously with mutual respect, trust and with tolerance for each other's religious faiths. But it was not to be. Tragedies and violence between 1946 and 1948 destroyed many illusions of the Independent India's leadership under Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. Mahatma Gandhi's death in 1948 proved to be a watershed moment in this respect. Sardar Patel had made all of 560 princely states, having special status under the partition, to be a part of India that put lid on any problem from their side. He also managed the situation with strong-arm tactics to quell opposition from people making linguistic and/or ethnic based claims for formation of states. Some people thought that good days are not far and new found freedom, democracy, new constitution and peace will enable progress on all fronts including religion. But it was not to be. The distrust. between Hindus and Muslims never got eliminated. The demons that divided these two in pre independence period raised their ugly head again and India saw riots one after another, from one part of the country to another, killing a large number of people on both sides.

      India, a subcontinent in size is a giant country but it had extremely diverse cultures where people have cohabited for millenniums in narrow proximity but have proximity but have never merged. What is more interesting is that those original inhabitants have believed in having differing faiths without really geting worried. This diversity was never a roadblock in its unity. Even when Buddhism and Jainism emerged from within, people accepted them easily because Upanishad-based common philosophy and feeling of a well-accomplished civilization contributed towards national bonding and developed a revered tolerance as far as religious faiths were concerned. There was an undisputed sense of accommodating each other's desire and free will to pursue all sorts of religious dispensations.

      But things had changed by now. The Hindu pyramid had Brahmins and Kshatriyas sitting on top but the largest proportion of the population consisted of the lower caste that, after independence, got divided into different connotations like "Backward Class" and "Other Backward Classes". The lowest of lower that were socially treated as untouchables due to their identification with unclean but necessary professions got segregated as "Scheduled Castes" while the Adivasis, the aboriginal people got clubbed under yet another list called "Scheduled Tribes". As if thousands of castes and sub castes (jati) which originated on the basis of blood purity; colour of skin and tradition of occupations was not enough, this further division of Hindu Samaj ended up in deep divides in the society and gave basis for demanding additional pie of government sponsored benefits like reservation in jobs and education.

      Let no one think that the divides were there only among Hindus of India. The position of Christians and Muslims was not much better either. Muslims of India may appear monolithic to someone looking from far above but reality is far from this impression. To begin with, Islam came to India on coasts of Malabar and Coromandel where Muslims sailors settled soon after Islam came into existence in Arabia. These were well accepted and got absorbed in local population without many problems. Many others in South got converted to Islam from lower castes who were tired of their poor treatment by higher caste Hindus. But in North, Muslims are taken as invaders and identified with Turks and Mughals who have had strong association with tyranny and oppressions. But in reality most Northern Muslims remaining in India after partition are also converts from lower castes who could not or did not want to part with their motherland even after Pakistan came into existence. There is but only a thin crust of Muslim population who can easily trace back their roots to foreign origin. Now, the caste-based segregation has persisted in converts even after conversion and their plight in terms of class-based segregation is as bad as Hindus.

      Looking from another angle and leaving aside classification based on sects, schools of philosophy and practices followed, most Muslims in India are Sunnis with the exception of few from princely families of Shias (twelvers) and few Ismaeli Shias settled in West India. In yet another way of looking at Muslims, it is safe to accept their segregation between orthodox and heterodox being followers of Mosques and shrines respectively. Heterodox Muslims are extremely tolerant themselves and they and Hindus alike visit their shrines and saints. There worship tradition of Qawwali also is just like another way of Hindu Kirtan. But the orthodox people believe in one Prophet, one God and one Scripture to the exclusion of everything else. And this intolerance for multiplicity pitches them sometimes in conflict on religious level with Hindu practitioners. In addition, there are so many other reasons, such as, desecration of religious sites, indiscreet loud noise from places of worship, overlapping of festivals, cow slaughter, etc. which give rise to infrequent riots involving these two communities. The trust deficit refuses to die away even after so many decades after independence.

      In addition to Hindus and Muslims, India has a lot of other religious minorities on the margin of Hindu world. To begin with we have Parsis (Zoroastrians) who were forced to flee at the downfall of Sassanid Empire at the hands of Islamic Arab conquerors. Than we have Christians who arrived here in first century after Christ with St. Thomas who were largely Evangelical, followed by new arrivals of Syrian Christians in 15th and 16th Century CE who are largely based in Kerala. These are largely Catholics and own their allegiance with Oriental Churches. Finally, we had third round of Christians arriving in India under English Raj who belong to 18th century Protestants. These are the people who resorted to mass scale conversions under patronage of the state and created direct animosity with oppressed Hindus of the time. Besides, we have a host of other smaller minorities that have culturally merged well with the original Indians and live in social harmony.

      The crux of inter faith tensions prevailing in India of 20th century lie in a basic difference in approach of the practitioners of different faiths. Ancient India has been a land where changing the manner of worship does not change anything. Indian thought has accepted God to be capable of calling by different names by different people. The soil of India is said to have ingrained love and respect for all faiths and religious beliefs. But Islam and Christianity are based on One Prophet, One Scripture and One God. They proclaim loudly that other than the one suggested by their Prophet, there is no other path of salvation of the human soul.

      These basic differences would have been overcome by now but the electoral politics at the root of democratic India encourages politicians to promote their vote banks. Divided society that India is, fuelling of religion, sect and caste based passions of poor electorate has been taken as the easiest route to secure a win by many political outfits ignoring the adverse impact on the unity of the people of this great civilisation. Lack of strong political wills on the part of statesmen governing Indian polity and petty election gains is the biggest bane of free India in terms of continued deep divide among various communities of the society.

      This unfortunate situation results in serious disadvantage to Hinduism, the faith of most Indians. Coming out of one thousand years of foreign rules where the faith of majority got oppressed and infested with many evils, it was expected that the political leadership of the country will pay urgent and immediate attention to take concrete steps to promote the good parts of religion and will push out not so good practices and systems. Alas, Hinduism continues to suffer apathy and ignoring attitude by the state. Under the disguise of secularism, Hinduism stand completely ignored. Whatever little get done is based only on the initiative of hand full of individuals. It is unfortunate that even after over sixty years of independence there are no large-scale efforts to spread the basic knowledge of this great religious heritage. Our political leaders have done great injustice by not promoting pure and universal traditions of Hinduism. On the contrary, what they have allowed is to force Hinduism to stand in line of comparison with prophetic faiths of Islam and Christianity. It is like comparing large size continent with islands; comparing ocean with ponds; comparing most inclusive religion with most exclusive ones; comparison of most tolerant with absolute intolerant; comparison of most peaceful with astute violent; comparison of a library with a book; comparison of a beautiful and big garden with a single plant.

      This apathy by Indian governments is not doing any good with the national aspirations of achieving its deserving position of leadership in the world in terms of financial powers, spiritual wisdom, political representation, social inclusiveness, advancements in cultural accomplishments, maintaining equilibrium with tradition and modernity, development and sustaining environment. Indian cultural richness can show way to the world in most challenges of the humanity at present or in future. The need is to enrich our real Sanatan Dharma concepts with its pure philosophy and harmonious inclusiveness. We should separate the ways of worship from human religion. Because any thing that divides can never be a religion.

      India has lost couple of generations post its independence. But there is still time for making course corrections. If it can leave behind Puranic Hinduism of Temples and Deities, Mosques and Churches and create national awareness for the core of Sanatan Dharma, the eternal Human code of life, all Indian citizens will soon get united and prosper jointly. The feeling of "Vasudhaiva Kutumbkam" where the whole world is to be treated as a single family has great power and relevance today than ever. But to inculcate that, Indians have to forget their immediate affiliations in terms of cast, sect, creed and way of worship and connect to the Sanatan values for peaceful coexistence in harmony with nature and focusing on internal peace and prosperity and channelise all their energies for fighting with ignorance, lack of wisdom and aligning with the cosmic powers through spirituality.

      Can it be done? Or it is just a pipe dream? The answer to this will depend on how the Indians decide to respond individually and collectively in future. But outside India one can see many positive developments for concepts of Sanatan Dharma where many people with clear thinking and open-minded approach are increasingly accepting and appreciating the values that Hinduism has been so proud of. And this is precisely the subject matter of our next section dealing with global spread of Hinduism.