Vernacular Press

Indian non-English newspapers are like a breath of fresh air. They have no hint of this Marxist / leftist propaganda or anti-Hindu orientation that is so visible in champagne-sipping, west-touring “journalists” of NDTV, CNN-IBN, TOI and HT. The vernacular papers are not ashamed of their Hindu identity and defend it vigorously. The only shame is that they are not available on the Internet and cannot be read by people who are comfortable reading in English.

Dainik Jagaran, which my newspaper vendor tells me sells as much in Delhi as the Times of India, has the following op-ed piece written by its political editor. I have translated it into English. Clearly, it is only the English media in India which is alienated from the land and looks to the West for inspiration. They suffer from the classic Nehru syndrome, while the vernacular media seems to be the salt of this land.

Attack on Hindu Symbols
Prashant Mishr recounts the reasons behind the mentality to attack the most sacred symbols of Hindu faith

Attacks on the most sacred symbols of Hinduism continue unabated. The latest assault has been conducted by the history department of the Delhi University. Some sensational information has been included in its curriculum for graduates, based on critical commentary by A.K. Ramanujam. You may recall that an NGO funded by the Indian government had organised an exhibition right in the middle of Ayodhya to tell us that Lord Rama was having an affair with his mother! Now, Delhi University’s latest “research” is telling us that Laxman was having an affair with Sita.

To add insult to injury, it has been further proclaimed that Lord Hanuman was character-less and used to peep into the rooms of people in Lanka. This “research” is being done by institutions that are funded by the government of India, meaning that common people’s money is being used to attack their own faith. Because of the stamp of government, such “research” gets official credibility and recognition. This kind of nonsense can still be tolerated if published by independent researchers. But when the name of Bhandarkar Research Center or Baroda University is associated with them, it just goes on to show that the attack on symbols of Hindu faith is supported by the government. When the Govt. of India files an affidavit in the Supreme Court that Lord Rama never existed, then this suspicion of government support is turned into proof in our minds.

Hindu faith has been under attack by Western countries and even commercial organisations too. It is also true that the anti-religion viewpoint prevailing in the West is the result of a long struggle which divided Christianity into various sects. We can also agree that the secularism of the West is more or less based on humanitarian values. When Westerners ridicule religion, they do not spare their own. Indian secularism, on the other hand, has the commercialism of the Western society, but lacks its honesty. India secularism is anti-Hindu and nothing else. It does not have the guts to comment on any other faith.

Our Indian government does not have the courage to even punish the terrorists who attacked our parliament. Our prime minister is unable to sleep when an Indian Muslim is arrested on charges of terrorism abroad. But when terrorists have destroyed thousands of families in India, it does not seem to cause any special pain to our prime minister.

And this is the mentality of a party whose own two biggest leaders have been consumed by the fires of terrorism! Isn’t it a matter of great surprise then that when it comes to Hindu faith, the government suddenly discovers its courage! In this matter, some communist organisations and NGOs too jump on the bandwagon and become militant along with the government. Such an NGO recently did not mind stripping Mother India of her clothes. When Hindus protested, a TV journalist came to the rescue by giving the argument that there was a kind of pristine innocence attached to nudity and motherhood!

The journalist perhaps overlooked the fact that this “naked innocence” does not appeal to M.F. Hussain when making a painting of his own mother (or even women from the Prophet's household). The painter has developed a taste of nudity only when painting Mother India or Goddess Durga. When he paints Madhuri Dixit, he turns into “Mac Bull.” One TV channel included Hussain’s name in the list of people who should be given the Bharat Ratna.

Media is busy creating an impression that a great injustice has been done with Hussain and he was forced to flee the country to London. The truth is that this kind of controversy is created for commercial gain. As far as the communists are concerned, they not only hate the Hindu religion, they hate Indian nationalism too. These people support nuclear programme of Iran but have objections about the Indian nuclear programme! Hindu faith is attacked under the garb of scientific reasoning, historical research or artistic freedom. Sometimes, the logic is given that because Hinduism allows dissent, it is rightful forf others to insult its most sacred symbols, meaning that “you deserve it because you are liberal and tolerant.”

These people seem to argue that only those faiths are worthy of respect which are fundamentalist in nature and do not brook any opposition or intellectual freedom. No faith in the world is ever tested on the parameters of modern logic, historical truth or science. Mankind needed religion only because we wanted to cross the boundaries of the physical world to experience something spiritual that is beyond all logic and science of this world. When doubts are raised about the historicity of Lord Rama, it seems that the rationalists want to argue that no conception is possible without physical intercourse, nobody can come alive after death and one’s body cannot fly to heaven. But isn’t it clear that the entire edifice of Christianity is based on these very unscientific principles? Every faith in the world is based on a foundation that cannot be tested scientifically. Then why only Hindu faith is singled out for such examination and attack?

Hindu religion is anyway so ancient that is not a part of history, but proto-history. Recently we have excavated some portions of the ancient submerged city of Dwarka. Surely, Hindu faith must have got strengthened due to it. But can a faith be questioned only because no archaeological proof has been found to substantiate its core beliefs? The time has come when Hindus should protect and save their gods and beliefs from motivated insults and slurs with as much seriousness and zeal as they protect slurs to their own personal reputation.