Hindumisia?
How should we respond to recent anti-Hindu hate, both national and global?
Making fun of Hinduism is not new. People make fun of number of gods Devi-Devatas. They make fun of deities carrying arms. They make fun of many things. At first I found it amusing. Over last few years I realised that people were not just making fun. They were being deliberately derogatory.
Gyanvapi issue
The prima facie evidence of existence of Shivling in Gyanwapi complex was shared online. What followed was pure hate and mockery. The barrage of tweets and posts came not only from trolls and unsophisticates, but also from blue-tick accounts of mass following.
This, coming after riots and Hindu slaughter in Bangladesh because a Muslim man kept Quran at the Puja Pandal. There was no such fear of riots or slaughter in the minds of those mocking Hinduism.
This was not just derogatory, it was something more. Some used Hinduphobia. But that did not fit this. The word “phobia” has two meanings - one is irrational or exaggerated fear and the second is intolerance or aversion. People do not fear Hindus, rationally or irrationally. So there is no Hinduphobia. THIS is Hindumisia.
Hindumisia means hatred of Hindus
It is hatred of Hinduism, of Sanatan Dharma, of Indic heritage. Hindus are being denied a basic respect for their religion culture.
Sanatan Dharma is built on “seeker” mindset. It believes in rationality, science, and asking questions. It believes in different paths to betterment. It is mature enough to realise that sometimes rationality is not enough and we need a bit of faith. A sentiment echoed in the Da Vinci Code where Dr. Langdon, a rational scientist talks about needing faith when he fell into the well as a child.
Why would anyone hate this sophisticated culture is beyond me. But the vigour and relish that accompanies the scorn, it enrages me.
Channeling the rage
We need to channel this rage into energy and a movement. We need to expound Sanatan Dharma as we understand it consciously and subconsciously. We need to explain it to the non-Indian masses in a language and meaning that they understand.
This has to be done in different fora. Sahana Singh spoke at “Darshana - A Glimpse into the Hindu Civilisation”. Such presentations create familiarity too.
We will also need to engage general public with enthusiasm and nurture their curiosities. Being self-deprecating about our customs, rituals or dharma itself is not going to help.
We also need the tools
While we spread the word of Sanatan Dharma, we also need tools. Amar Chitra Katha is one for familiarising young children with stories about our culture. But we need research based tools as well. Sanskrit Non-Translatables is something I mean to read next. (short excerpt here).
We also need to establish and expand the organisations that teach the essence of Sanatan Dharma, that set people on the journey of seeking. We need to invoke the dormant curiosity and fascination for learning and richness and sophistication of Sanatan Dharma will take care of the rest.