Are We All Hindus?

Dr. Tejinder Singh Rawal

RSS  Jt Secretary Dattatraya Hosabale recently stirred a hornet’s nest by saying that all Indians are Hindus, and there are no minorities in India.  He was asked  about the status of minorities, and he replied,  “Who are the minorities you refer to? We do not acknowledge any such group in the country.”  When asked that the question pertained to religious minorities in India, he said, ” We do not accept any discrimination of Indians on the basis of any religion – or caste. As per our DNA we are all the same. Our origins are the same, our ancestry is the same – we are all Hindus.”

What Hosabale said was reiteration of what former RSS Chief Sudarshan has always maintained. He once said that he  believed in the concept of Hindutva which according to him was all encompassing and included the gurudwaras, churches and baba garib nawaz meaning the Sikhs, Christians and Muslims are covered by the term Hindu.

The present Chief Mohan Bhagwat has also expressed same opinion when he said, “Hindustan is a Hindu nation…Hindutva is the identity of our nation and it (Hinduism) can incorporate others (religions) in itself,”

Hinduism is one of the greatest religions of the world, it is the shining star, which has shown the way of truth to mankind for thousands of years, and will continue to do so. But, to say that all Indians are Hindus is absurd, and it smacks of the agenda of Hinduisation of all non-Hindu communities. RSS  has been perpetrating this controversy ever since its inception in 1925. The renowned  Sikh scholar Kahn Singh Nabha had written a book, Hum Hindu Nahin during the period of emergence of this controversy to tell the world that while Sikhism gels well with Hindiism, and is intimately related with Hinduism, but is still a distinct religion. Treating Sikhism a branch of Hinduism is a mistaken idea. Equally illogical is the idea that since we all have the same Indian DNA’s all Indians are Hindus.

The RSS view contradicts the Hindu views over the centuries which have always held that there is a place for everyone in India and that India is a nation which appreciates cultural and religious diversity. The Bhagavad Gita says  that there could be countless spiritual paths, one precisely suited to every level of personal abilities. Lord Krishna explains various margas in the Gita, and leaves it on the individual to decide on which path is more suitable for him.

Because of this pragmatic view of Hinduism, India has – over the centuries- become home to countless religious beliefs. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, found their way to India at the earlier years of their formation. India is a nation which perhaps has more versions of Christianity that any other nation in the world.  India is home to Cochin Jews  – also known as Black Jews- who claim their roots to the times of King Solomon.  All branches of Islam exist in India.  Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism were born and nurtured in India. When Zoroastrianism  was at threat in the country of its birth- Iran- the Parsis made their way to India, and soon the Parsis mingled with Indians like sugar with milk.  Hinduism itself has six Vedic schools, with so many branches and sub-branches of each of them. Then there are founded religions, and sampradayas, making a wide range of beliefs available at the disposal of the seeker,  all existing peacefully with others.

The RSS concept takes a U turn from the stand that India has always taken, and is detrimental not only to the interest of minorities in India as it encourages fundamentalist tendencies. It is against the interest of RSS also in the long run. President Barrack Obama, during his recent visit to India, hinted at things not being good in India, and said that India needs to tackle religious polarisation.

There is already a disconnect between RSS vision and the aspirations of the youths of India. The youth has no time or inclination to differentiate people on the basis of caste, creed, ethnicity or religion. He is concerned about growth, about development, and worthwhile employment or business opportunity in a growing economy. He wants  to live happily in a peaceful nation. RSS will have to modify its mission statement if it wants to appeal to this youth.

The RSS assertion directly contradicts the pragmatic stand of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi who got elected on the promise of “Sabka saath, sabka vikas”, and is likely to harm the interest of BJP in no small measure.  Atal Bihari Vajpayee also carried the views similar to that of Modi when he talked about Hindutva and Bharteeyata, and talked about acceptance of diversity and freedom to maintain differences which are not antithetical to national unity.

The Western world started talking of religious pluralism, and  interfaith dialogue only in recent times. India has always believed in religious pluralism. Pluralism is not religious tolerance, it is much more than that. Advocates of religious tolerance often look for common denominators, common practices in various religions, and use those common grounds as the basis for appreciating other religions. Pluralism is the belief that different religions may have different beliefs and those beliefs may differ from each other, yet they are all valid. Pluralism accepts multiple paths to God, and is to be contrasted with ‘exclusivism’ the belief that there is only one path to God, and only one particular religion can take you to that path. It is this pluralism deeply embedded in Indian traditions that makes most of us bow with reverence when we happen to pass by any religious shrine belonging to any religious community. Sikhism, Jainism, Buddhism,  Indian form of Islam, and Christianity are all part and parcel of Indian commonwealth.

Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, one of the greatest philosophers and the former President of India puts this so aptly when he says, “The greatest thinkers Yajnavalkya and Gargi, Buddha and Mahavira, Gautama and Kapila, Shankara and Ramajuja, Madhva and Vallabha, and scores of others are India’s greatest title to existence, a clear testimony of her dignity as a nation with a soul, the proof that she may yet rise above herself and the pledge of this supreme possibility.”

Bibliography:

Liberating Sikhism from the Sikhs by Dr. J S Ahluwalia
Indian Philosophy S. Rdhakrishnan
Commentary on Bhagawad Gita by Swami Chinmayanand