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INDIA OR
'HINDUSTAN': WHOSE LAND IS THIS ANYWAY?
- Philip P Eapen
Author's webpage:
http://philip.eapen.googlepages.com |
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“Why are Hindu’s made to feel insecure in
their own country?” “Why should Hindus apologise for
being Hindus in their own country?” “Why are Hindus
given a step-motherly treatment in their own country?
These are some of questions that I come across in the
news media in response to media outrage against Varun
Gandhi’s vitriolic hate speech. This is followed by a
diatribe against Muslims and “their Mecca” and against
Christians and “their Vatican.” This is how the Hindu
fraternity in India lays claim on India as their “own”
land—as if Indian citizens who foll ow other religions do
not belong to India. This is how the Sangh Parivar and
its sympathisers exclude followers of other faiths from
their hearts and attempt to alienate them from a secular
democratic republic of India.
Christians, Muslims, Parsis, Sikhs, and Jews of India
belong to India. And India belongs to them as much as to
the Hindus. It seems that Hindus of India someone how
haven’t come to terms with this reality. They are not
able to distinguish between today’s secular Republic of
India and the “Hindustan” of old. In other words, they
have not accepted the secular foundations of this modern
republic.
If the Sangh Parivar had been designated with the task
of writing the Constitution of India, they would have
created a theocratic kingdom and christened it “The
Hindu Kingdom of India.” They are sad that some Muslims
took away a portion of “Hindustan” to create a
theocratic state of Pakistan. And therefore, they are
dreaming of an exclusive “Hindustan” where Christians
and Muslims will have no place.
The Republic of India is not Hindustan. Modern India is
home to several kinds of people who follow several
religions and even atheism. Secular India should not be
known by the name of any one religion. In my opinion,
any one who uses the word “Hindustan” to refer to
secular India is unwilling to accept the twist of
history and guilty of alienating people of many
religions from their land.
The minorities have so far borne a much larger share of
the burden of nation-building than what their population
demands. “Majority” Indians should not turn a blind eye
to the contributions of these “minorities.” If Hindus
continue to complain -”We pay our taxes and the
minorities get all the concession” - let them not forget
the selfless service that they have enjoyed at the hands
of minority groups in the fields of eduction, social
welfare and health care.
Christians, Muslims, Sikhs, Jews, Zoroastrians, Bahais
and Atheists of this land are proud of India. They work
towards the advancement of modern secular India—not for
the establishment of an ancient Hindustan.
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This page
is updated on April 1, 2009 |
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PRAISE THE ALMIGHTY
10 YEARS CELEBRATION
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