There is much difficulty in being able to describe the essence of Hinduism, a faith so immense, varied, profound and all-encompassing, that it continues to confound people of varying philosophical interests and spiritual capacity.
Hinduism is the original inclusive faith, made up of all manner of spiritual practices. Collectively, all of them bundled together in a common category of beliefs, came to be regarded as Hinduism. This way of life, is a result of the assimilation of all Indic practices, a happy amalgamation of all views. It offers something of significance, to everybody, based on their personal preferences, inclinations, motivations and level of spiritual understanding.
It is admittedly difficult to grasp that Hinduism is both ancient and modern in its outlook, it’s dynamic yet careful not to lose its foundational concepts, flexibility and elasticity. It appears to be a bunch of contradictions on the surface of it. It is both a reverence for all of divine creation as well as, worship of none at all. It is both nothingness as well as everything. It is ritualistic for those that require the discipline and rigour and it is also the highest form of meditation and absorption in divine ecstasy for those not needing rituals. It is seemingly polytheistic yet with the sole aim of the soul’s gentle, self- paced progress and journey, towards the one Supreme Reality.
It is so inclusive that there are perhaps no exclusions which makes it complex and confusing to most folks, that would like to keep it simple with prescribed rules, rigid dogma and consequences for breaking the prescribed rules.
In the vast Hindu belief system , all are welcome – the atheists, agnostics, rationalists, socialists, communists, activists, analysts and what not. Of course, included in its deep and loving embrace are Shaivism, Vaishnavism, Animism and everything in between!
Regardless of who coined the word and when it happened denying that the term Hinduism is an expansive collection of spiritual beliefs and practices based on common Indic/Vedic concepts of dharma, karma, the eternal nature of the soul, yoga, siddha, the freedom of choice with worshipping different “ishta” devatas or deities etc, is misleading and gaslighting Hindus.
What is the intent of the recent comments by VCK’s Thirumavalavan, DMK’s Elangovan or an actor of Kamal Haasan’s stature? What purpose does it accomplish? Was it necessary? It’s akin to stating that Tamil in its current form did not exist in ancient/medieval times, it’s grammer, vocabulary and syntax both in spoken and written formats were significantly different hence Tamil never existed and the word “Tamil” is a foreign term coined by invaders/foreign rulers.
They could also question the existence of the state of Tamil Nadu because an exclusive Tamil land with its current, clearly defined borders, did not exist at any point in history till recent times, hence there was never a loosely woven “land of the Tamils ” based on common vernacular dialects, beliefs, mannerisms & practices?
The efficacy of such statements may be or may not be questionable but what purpose do such unwarranted comments serve? To them, Shiva is Dravidian or Tamilian but Vishnu is Aryan. Murugan is Tamil but his brother Vinayagar is north Indian. Sakthi is folk god and Durga is Aryan Goddess. When such needless arguments are made repeatedly and Hindus finally question, the “secular” intent of other traditions, their gods, their heroes, champions, saviors, all hell breaks lose!
It is a rabid, continuous stream of this selective, Hindu-specific criticism from certain political outfits and people, that will result in larger Hindu consolidation soon. Half a century, is an ocean of patience, acceptance, tolerance!
Granted, Hinduism has its share of human short comings and systemic flaws that managed to hijack the original intent of a diverse set of spiritual and social practices. We must, should and will address justified concerns. Many are already being addressed and there has been progress. But hey, which faith doesn’t have its unique shortfalls, human-injected irrational beliefs, its own dark history its shameful scandals, it’s share of under-handed dealings, corruption and financial embezzlements, its questionable preachers and shadowy holy men, its share of modern-day discrimination against sections of its own faithful masses?
Kamal Haasan and the others claiming to be atheist, rationalist, agnostic, secular, activist, can exercise their right-to-expression, in this nation. They are fortunate to live and work in a country that allows opinions to be aired without threats of a boycott, financial sanctions, imprisonment, murder, torture , excommunication.
There are practices / rituals in other religions as well including Islam and Christianity that are either not rational or scientific per modern knowledge and no longer relevant in modern times and changed circumstances – baptism and communion rituals in Churches, facing towards the Mecca, circumambulating the kaaba stone structure in Islam.
Both faiths also profess belief in physical angels, devils, witches, evil spirits etc, as much as Hinduism does. Why don’t the fans of rationalism, secularism and free speech, discuss this on television? Fear of massive, disproportionate consequences and international repercussions? Fear is a big deterrent and if it is fear that’s holding people back from real secularism, they ought to stay away from the Hindus as well, because frankly we’re running out of patience.
Why do Indian seculars exclusively at Hinduism ? Just because Hinduism happens to be unbelievably inclusive doesn’t guarantee you an unquestioned, eternal, worldwide free ride. People get upset and react. After all, a religion’s physical component is made up of its human adherents, with all of their human emotions and sentiments.
Defending oneself is, as much a human right, as the right to express an opinion. Silence is a poor defender and will not resolve offenses repeated frequently. It is natural for people to react to repeat-offenders.
In a bygone era , there was physical war. In modern times, physical disputes ( barring a few ) have been replaced with intellectual disputes of all kinds. Intellectual disputes will play out, with each side presenting their views and defending their version of what’s acceptable or not. When Tamil Nadu’s secularists present their opinions pertaining to Hinduism, it’s quite natural for the Hindus to present their side of the argument.
If history has taught us tough lessons, we must put them to practice . Silence/non-reaction/muted reaction, does not always work. Gandhi’s reluctance to discuss a larger issue and his prolonged silence over the subject, did not do us much good it led to a painful partition with repercussions that continue to plague us even today.
I believe the current underlying Hindu sentiment is this – a true atheist, secular, rationalist would speak up boldly on all faiths, not selectively on just one faith. Even Hindu inclusivity, runs out of patience every once in a while.
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