Tuesday, November 3

I am confused as a Hindu (Facebook post by Ms. Deepika Govind)

A very interesting post, which I thought must be shared on my blog. I am a Hindu too (not the religious and serious type) and am trying to come to terms with what Hinduism really is. I strongly believe that HINDUISM is a WAY OF LIFE and not a religion like ISLAM or CHRISTIANITY where followers are being forced to adopt and practice, failing which they are pushed outside of their community and condemned.

I too had my schooling in a Christian School and have many friends who are Christians and Muslims, I do feel alienated / odd at times especially when they refuse to participate in my functions, even when they are not needed to perform anything, except attend as a visitor. Anyways may be they are scared or narrow minded… I am now used to this and have a matured mind-set and outlook.

Please do take time to read the below post...

A post on Face book by Deepika Govind  on 1 November

I am confused as a Hindu who wants to stay secular and each day this confusion increases……

Yes I am born as a Hindu in India ,went to a Christian school ….celebrated Diwali at home but Christmas in school with equal fervor .Visit to a cathedral or hearing bible verses never instilled any fear that my religion is at stake …because as a Hindu I am supposed to be secular and accept all religions. In India its fashionable to be a secular Hindu….


But I really wonder aloud today, what would have been the reaction in media and our so called intellectuals if a school run by a Hindu trust or organization had opened a school amongst Christianity dominated area and had sung verses from Gita or Mahabharata!!! All hell would have broken loose for sure .


14 years of education in a Christian run school did not make me a Christian ..i am still a Hindu but I have one more reason in my life to be happy when its Christmas …


As a Hindu if I can handle 33 crores of gods and deity, I can definitely handle few more gods and still be a Hindu…I don’t fear.. I am a Hindu …I imbibe.. I don’t run away…. but what am I supposed to do when I see my Muslim and Christian friends refusing Prasad /or rejecting getting a tilak done on their forehead… how many of Muslims and Christians have visited.. Vaishno Devi or Tirupati…


Now …just ask how many Hindus have visited Ajmer Sharif or Deva Shareef or Swarna Mandir or Cathedral. Is so called secularism has to be only a Hindu’s responsibility!


If India has to be secular then state should not interfere with religion… but then why should my tax money has to go for Haj subsidy.. Is that not a special favour to one religion? This is my question …but as a Hindu am still confused….if just one haj subsidy allows my Muslim brothers and sister to be happy then am happy to still let them do it. I would love to hear stories of their trip…. I am happy to say “Eid Mubarak”…I don’t fear because I am Hindu.


Why my so called intellectuals never blamed successive governments for allowing such communalism… why they never returned their awards….


Why St. Stefen’s in Delhi is allowed to give preference only to Christian candidates while hiring…… They exist on a piece of land which belongs to INDIA and not to Hindus, Christians or Muslims … then preference to anybody on the basis of religion is communalism and not secularism.


Why authors and scientists and people like Dibakar Banerjee never protested against St Stefens ?


Currently am residing in a country which claims with pride that we are a Christian nation and the world media doesn’t target it at all .Britain easily refuses permission to create a mosque higher than St.Pauls cathedral…A mosque which will be built by their own citizens living and working in this country ,,,but BBC doesn’t run a documentary on the plight of muslims being tortured and not given equal rights in Britain !! They don’t get a lecture from Obama to embrace secularism as yet !!

However ,in India I still don’t support demolishing a mosque which was built by an Invader !!A nation with 80% of its populations as Hindus has taken more than 60 years to built a temple for their deity.As a Hindu I would still support a temple and a mosque together there …..rather than just a temple …I don’t boast my religion …..and I Don’t believe that I am the best…I believe that all are equal for I am a Hindu.

If my son has to marry a Christian girl tomorrow..I will not ask the girl to convert…I have no such concept ..but my son will have to convert to christianity just to marry the girl of her dreams ….is that not communalism which is openly being practiced by minorities in India ….!! If inter-cast marriages are supported then why not inter-religion ……let there be true secularism in India …..and not this blurred version of secularism, created by pseudo –intellectuals !! 


I have no award to be given back …no talent to make a documentary or debate the issue on a TV channel. But my belief that God is one and all religions should be respected gets shaken every day in my Mind….As a Hindu …am I being taught to stay oppressed in India ? Is that secularism??


I am a woman ,a Hindu woman ,who wants to teach her son to respect all religions …and want to tell him that if you light a candle in a church, bow your head in a Mosque , do seva in a Gurudwara…. You will not cease to be Hindu …….for you are a Hindu and always will be a Hindu .You will never learn to fear .


Yes I am…… confused …..but I still don’t fear for I am a Hindu .I will not eat Beef but will not support a ban on it !! but please don’t mock my religious feeling by doing a Beef –Party just to mock me !! at least that much I can expect .


If you want to return your award then return it and say that you ‘ll accept it back only when beef –ban is removed ,haj subsidy is stopped ,polygamy among muslims to be declared illegal,no special reservations for any minority in their institutions ....,triple Talaq to be stopped and not compulsion of change of religion in inter –religion marriages !!


(Ps. I have not taken the authors permission for posting it here, please excuse…)


No comments: