What growing Hindu Religious chauvinism means to the Indian nation?
India is a multi-cultural and multi-religious country. It is the meeting point of various religions, faith, ethos, cultures, traditions etc. Thus the current status of India, is due to its multi-cultural traits. Moreover, our trait of secularism is a very feature to the multi-cultural society. At the dawn of independence, India was bifurcated into two-- India and Pakistan. Later in 1971, Bangladesh was created out of Pakistan. These two countries, i.e, Pakistan and Bangladesh are the neighbours and both these countries state religion is Islam. In this way, India's geo-politics is to a large extent is determined by these two Islamic states of Pakistan and Bangladesh. Moreover India's foreign policy as well as its diplomacy is much influenced by the activities of economic power-house China. China's diabolic stand against India in its foreign policy and its positive tilt towards Pakistan has also led to insecurity in the Indian sub-continent. All in all, the geo-polity of India too has a lot to do with growing Hindu chauvinism in India.
But the fuel to the fire of growing Hindu Religious chauvinism has also been added by the increasing tensions of Indo-Pak conflicts as well as Pakistan sponsored illegal infiltration and its associated terrorism. This Hindu Religious chauvinist has through their nefarious plans has been able to add a religious colour to the Islamic terror that the country has seen. All in all, the geo-polity of the country and the sense of insecurity among the masses (which the Hindu chauvinist terms as the growing dominance of Islamic ideologue via mainly by the means of terrorism on a majority of the country which are Hindus) are the two among the various factors for the growth of Hindu Religious chauvinism in India. Along with it, the mass infiltration of Bangladeshis through the Indo-Bangladesh bordering states like Assam, Tripura and the other North Eastern bordering States and West Bengal vis-a vis its effect on the demography of these states and the associated socio-religious politics can also be termed as to have a leaf in Hindu Religious chauvinism in the country.
Now the question that arises is What growing Hindu Religious chauvinism means to the Indian nation? The greatest repercussion of Hindu Religious chauvinism in our country is the growing inter-religious disbelief among the countrymen. The chord which used to join the masses irrespective of religion, caste and creed has if not totally broken down but has certainly become brittle. What used to exist earlier was a feeling of mutual trust and understanding among the people of our country has now been replaced by disbelief and mutual miss-understanding among one religion with that of the other.
The growing Hindu chauvinistic elements through their deeds have been able to strike the chord which hurts the most. The overall results of all these are the growing intolerance and anarchy as a whole in the society. Besides, these factors have made religious discontentment among the masses synonymous with their chauvinistic plans. All things considered, if we want to make the country a multi-coloured garland which becomes the confluence of various religious faiths and traditions. The only way to do it is by replacing intolerance, hatred and anarchy in the society by promoting tolerance, love and harmony in the society. In this endeavour, we need to see the issues involving the various facets of the society via the lens of our historical precedents of multi-cultural and secular traditions. On the contrary, most of the people by dancing to the tune of these Hindu Religious chauvinists tend to give religious colour to every problem that creep up in the society.
At this juncture, when our whole society is at a cross road, we need to promote a sense of religious amity among the masses. In this regard, we need to discard religious bigotry and welcome one and all and thereby engulfing each one of us under one identity that is we are one and our only identity is that of an Indian. When our very identity will shed religious colour and rather engulf the growth of Indian nationalism as our motto of life for one and all. Then only we will be able to make great strides as a nation. It is rightly said,'religion divides but faith unites'. So our only faith as an Indian should be to promote nationalism by overcoming the fissiparous tendencies of the fissiparous forces.
- Jnandeep Bora
