India is unique in many ways. Bharat is like no other nation in the world. Its ancient native culture with a continuance for thousands of years, its religion, way of life, its assimilation of foreign cultures, its hundreds of spiritual practices each in its rightful place, its numerous native and foreign religions boasting uninterrupted practice, the hundreds of languages and dialects spoken in the country since ancient times, the diversity of landscapes from the deserts to the fertile plains, from the plateaus and the long coast lines bordering three oceans to the heights of several mountain ranges including the Himalayas, the Western and Eastern ghats and the lush, rolling hills of the North East, its diversity of both flora and fauna and so much more.

Every non-native foreigner that has tried to understand the large variety in every sphere of life in India-Bharat, has been baffled by how the largest diversity of practically everything in one nation, has worked, stayed intact, not only survived but thrived through the ages from the ancient world to the modern times in all its rich, glorious, colorful, deep and complex layers of history – the complexity of life in all its cultural, linguistical and spiritual practices, the diversity of life styles, food varieties, dietary habits, agricultural practices and what not !!

Some foreigners like the Jews, the Parsis/ Zorastrians, some early Christians, came in peace to seek refuge while others like the Islamic invaders and the trade/economic conquerors like the British and the Portuguese arrived with a non-peaceful agenda – that of immediate or gradual conquest either through war, subjugation, destruction and complete annihilation of native culture… or through unfair trade practices and cunning manipulation of native rulers, turning one against the other, leading to an eventual submission of the entire nation, comprising of several small kingdoms.

Through all the barbaric Islamic invasions and murderous conquests as well as England’s financially, economically disastrous conquest of the vast Indian wealth and resources via a shrewd divide-and-rule policy, India-Bharat remained “whole” to the disbelief of all its invaders. The people that suffered the most, that lost the most, yet stood resolute in their beliefs and way of life, through hundreds of brutal conquests, were the native Indic people of all the regions of the Indian sub-continent including the areas comprising of present-day Pakistan and Bangladesh.

As we all know, Pakistan and Bangladesh were given up by the British and a small group of narrow-minded Indian politicians who lacked the foresight of what radical Islamism was capable of, in spite of numerous examples of it from recent Indian history. Through out India-Bharat’s long, colorful, fascinating yet tumultuous history, its worst impacted, were the long-suffering native Indian people of Indic religions (Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, Jain, Tribal, other Indigenous belief systems). The natives that gave up the beliefs of their ancestors and converted to Islam and Christianity led a protected, sheltered, fairly comfortable life.

The ones that suffered the most and put up with discrimination of all sorts, were the vast number of native Indian Hindus and those of other Indic religions, who bravely and proudly resisted both aggressive as well as passive attempts at conversion to Islam in the earlier centuries and several attempts at conversion to Christianity in the later centuries.

Going by the nation’s history and the logical conclusions which can be reached within a historical context, which religion, people, culture, heritage and way of life, needs to be protected, encouraged and sponsored? The native Hindu and Indic faiths which have already been subjected to centuries of aggressive discrimination and persistent attempts to convert. Or Islam and Christianity which have always been protected and even promoted by rulers at various times? Why does India continue its obsession with almost things that fall into a “minority” spectrum? Does it make logical sense? What are we trying to prove to the world and does the world really care? No other country in the world promotes policies that favour its minorities. No other nation discriminates against its own native culture and religion. No other nation sanctions government-sponsored special benefits such as reservations in welfare, education and jobs on the basis of religion or free/ subsidized pilgrimage visits for their minorities!

It is time for all Hindus, irrespective of education, class and caste to demand that these political parties stop the unjust, discriminatory, Divide-and-Rule policies of India’s invaders, the very same “minority” invaders that have repeatedly tried to and are still trying to…change and erase the very roots of native Indian culture. A culture and way of life whose religious practices and core beliefs revolve around respect for Mother Nature, a simpler non-material life lending itself naturally to an eco-friendly living and aiming at higher spiritual ideals rather than an obsession with indulging in conversions of people through whatever means necessary, profit from the increased numbers of converts, hoping to ultimately dominate the world.

If Hinduism and the other Indic, Pan Asian native faiths cease to exist in the face of aggressive proliferation of Islam and Christianity, the world will lose its diversity and plurality. It is Hinduism and other indigenous faiths that require protection via reservations and other means, NOT the world’s largest religions – Islam and Christianity, both non-native, alien to Bharat.

It is both preposterous and ironic that Nehru, his Congress party, the Communist Left and the bandwagon of Western-influenced “native white” liberals, choose to demand protection and reservations for Islam and Christianity when in reality, it is the native faiths and culture which are in dire need of protection, encouragement and growth, for their very survival! A nation that chooses to forget, disregard, protect its history, culture, heritage and way of life, will not be able to stand tall and proud.

Shivani is a freelance writer from Vijayawada.

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