In ancient times India was the biggest country in the world in geographical area. Now it is not that big. Still it is quite a big country but in terms of the persons living here it is the biggest country of the world. Every sixth person in the world is an Indian. In this country people belonging to almost all religions of the world – Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Christians, Parsees, Jews and many other tribal and non-tribal faiths – live here. This population is an asset of India – of course, it is an asset only if all these people respect the belief of each other, are of mentally inquiring nature and educated with forward looking outlook. It is an amazing human resource of composite culture of unique diversity.
India in terms of the number of cultures thriving here is the mini-world. It is its beauty. Out of all these persons belonging to different religions, Hindus account the most. Their population is somewhere near 80% in this country. In fact, India is a Hindu country.
Hinduism is like a big banyan tree with one root having many branches going to the ground; this Hinduism includes all Indic-faiths like Jainism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and, even remotely to Zoroasthastrian. If we look around us in this world, the stark reality is that it is only in this Hindu India alone in the entire world where, despite this great religious diversity, all religions are thriving and their adherents are multiplying in this land without any hindrance.
The credit for this religious freedom in India goes to the tolerating nature of Hindus and wonderful tenets of their religion. This reality becomes obvious when one compares this happy situation of all religions here with the sordid situation of other religions in those countries where majority belongs to other religions; particularly it is so in the case of Muslim and Christian countries. The religious tenets of both Islam and Christianity divide humanity into “They and Us” and their religious leaders are wholly preoccupied around the world with the “mission” of converting by hook or crook all those who are “Others” to their “Own” side. On the contrary to this divisive work, Hindu religious tenets unites humanity into ‘We All’ and their religious leaders proclaim that all paths lead to the same divine destination. They unite humanity and do not seek any conversion.
Hinduism is the most tolerant religion of the world. This truth cannot be hidden any longer. In a world full of religious diversity it is in the best interest of this world that Hinduism not only should survive but also thrive. Hindu India is not a threat to any country of a different religion. Hinduism is the well wisher of all, the entire humanity – and without any religious discrimination.
This Hinduism has its guide in its Sanskrit sacred scriptural Sutras like “Vasudhiva kutumbkam…” and “Sarve pashyanti sukhine …”, which express its goodwill to all – not only humans but even other living beings. This Hindu India has a message of peace and love for all.
The rise of Hindu India is the rise of humanity. Hindu India is a boon for our world, which is afflicted with warring groups armed with atomic weapons. The rise of Hindu India is a good omen for this world. The world should welcome this rising Hindu India – and should condemn all those who are ringing an alarm bell at this rise.
The greatest obstacle to Hindu rise is Hindus themselves, mostly intellectual Hindus, who are ignorant of the depth of its well meaning vision. These intellectuals – teachers, historians, politicians, bureaucrats, artists et al – even do not care to understand this depth. This is not all. The negative views of these ignorant Hindus are echoed by the mainstream media. They lampoon Hinduism for its negative side, without realizing that everything degenerates with the passage of time and needs periodic cleansing. It is with every religion.
The first need is to educate Hindus of what Hinduism is. Hinduism is all about humanism, a balanced way of life, the profound inquisitiveness and inquiry about the secrets of human life and this universe, an answer to this inquisitiveness and inquiry in the form of a scientific vision called Yoga, love and goodwill towards all living beings. It provides more openings to the mystic secrets of this universe.
An educated Hindu is the best citizen of the world and an asset for its prosperity, peace and happiness. Education in this Hinduism is the perfect antidote not only to human mental disease and depravity of conduct but also a cure for our world that is passing through a dangerous phase today. It is in the interest of all that this Hinduism is taught here in India and beyond India.
Another obstacle is Indian democracy where the wise ones and fools, the well informed ones and the ignorant lots are counted by heads; they are unequal but they have equal share in running the country; and, common sense tells us, the wise and the well informed are in short supply. Democracy where only heads are counted is not a perfect political tool – though still a better choice than other available political systems. In India – where large number of people are prone to caste sentiments, uneducated and poor for historical reasons – this head counting democracy has put many obstacles in its way to progress and earn respect in the comity of nations.
It is the work of new generation of India to become alert to these weaknesses and win over these obstacles.
Then, what is to be done today? If we want to calm our restless mind bordering illness and promote peace and harmony around the world, we need to inform the world of the basic tenets of Hinduism contained in its sacred books like Upanishad, Gita etc. They appeal to an inquisitive mind and answer all questions in rational manner. What we need is to simply make them available and not to push them with a missionary zeal.
Today Narendra Modi – the Indian Prime Minister – with an understanding of this Hinduism is toiling in the right direction. It is for all of us to make his efforts a symphony of Hindu India. We know in string musical instrument , like Sitar, we have many strings or wires. We know if one wire is struck to make a musical sound, then other wires – if they are rightly tightened or stretched – automatically make a synchronic musical sound without even touching them. It is called resonance. Resonance is used to amplifying the music to create symphony.
In the democratic politics of India too a resonance is needed to create a symphony of Hindu India. Modi and the leaders of his team like Yogi, Hemant Sarma etc. have touched, struck, a wire of Hindu life. Now it is for this Hindu India to resonate with that sound to create a symphony – a symphony of Hindu India.