In many ways what people call Hinduism was never a religion in true sense. Even the Supreme Court had to accept and declare ‘Hinduism’ as a way of living. Nothing more. Nothing less.
Yes. Casteism is practiced in India. People were and are discriminated on the basis of caste. Wait! Is India the only country where humans are discriminated one against the other? In each and every society that consists more than ten people, discrimination exists. Even within families people discriminate. Parents are often accused by one of their off-springs that they are partial to the other.
There is not a single ‘religion’ that is defined as a religion and don’t practice sectarian differences. If the differences between Sunnis and Shias are writing current history in blood, America’s wiping out natives and racial discrimination against blacks was well documented. And, we have not touched Hitler’s atrocities against Jews nor the loss of Palestinian lives, post Israel creation. The torture of Chinese and Koreans at the hands of Japanese is an epic itself. And being same color doesn’t guarantee indiscrimination, for indiscrimination is practiced in the Africa only in killings.
The point to note here is – When discrimination becomes state policy, the society would be collapsing on its own, for the nature doesn’t practice discrimination.
India, is a part of the world. And discrimination, though time and again denied by the rulers (of all parties), is practiced. Though Indians have mastered the art and science of discrimination only to discriminate all people based on one or the other classification, Dalits face most of the brunt.
With the rise of private vigilantes against cow slaughter (though the religions and castes of the suspects indicates a political conspiracy), it appears the value of human life had dipped few more notches. The number of lives that are lost in India due to either accidents, or lack of medical facilities make the value of human life in India a bit less. Even Indian papers make it a point to publish news of two or three lives lost in a train accident in any of the European countries, and news about more lives lost in the interiors of Karnataka or Bengal or any other remote area in India, have never seen light.
Why? This is acknowledging the LESS value of lives of our own people, at a subconscious level. The subjugation that the citizens of India have experienced at the hands of invaders for more than a millennium had in fact eroded the self-respect, as a trait of the society. In a way, the proponents of the ‘Hinduism’ damages more to the nation than those open it openly or in a concealed manner. First, even accepting the foreign words ‘Hindu’ and ‘Hinduism’ to denote an Indian and ‘Indian way of living’ (I prefer to call use ‘Bharateeya’ and ‘Bharateeyata’ in Hindi?) is akin to exhibiting subjugation.
There are many people, some of them scholars who quote extensively on the ancient Indian scriptures. Their main point is there are ‘contradictions’ in Indian scriptures. This, in their view is a way of inconsistency in the ‘Hindu’ religion. But, when one understands these scriptures are the written records of Human evolution in this country, there would be contradictions. One way, the ancient dwellers of this land were far better to record the change in their customs and practices. Each society would have its own values and they change over time. It is true to any society. The fact Dr Ambedkar noted that all Hindus are not same was correct, for Hindus could not be defined in the context of any other religion. The contradictions noted by one and all only mark continuous changes being adapted in the society at various times. For those criticising Manusmriti, for being discriminating against lower castes, if one views without prejudice, even the current constitution of India would appear as if it appeases lower castes. But, it is not. In true spirit, the current constitution when written was trying to bring balance to the society. However, if someone reads a copy of the same after – say a thousand years, without knowing the current social dynamics, he may feel the ‘lower castes’ were privileged in current times. Such is the power of the time.
The contradictions within the gambit of the social evolution of ancient and medieval Indians suggest, there were no fixed customs, except a few that could survive the test of time. This is the beauty of the Indian civilisation. If this civilisation is labelled ‘Hinduism’, the so called Hinduism was and is a dynamic religion, unlike others that still rely on those doctrines postulated centuries ago. Though it is widely believed that the Vedas are revered in Hinduism, ninety nine percent of Hindus don’t follow the Vedas, for nobody knows them!
Most of the people who talk about the superiority of Vedas and their containing solutions to all worldly problems cannot understand a word of Sanskrit, like those followers of other religions who comment on Vedas in a negative way. If someone feels the ancient scriptures could really offer solutions to the problems faced by the current society, by this time, at least one of Indian billionaires might have sponsored a comprehensive study, at the least. If someone studies Vedas in earnest way, most of them live in Germany and not in India. May be the Aryan obsession or whatever.
Being a pantheistic society in India everything is sacred. Even the gods of Rig Veda were the Sun from whom we derive energy and Indra & Varuna the gods controlling rains. Then the all-important Agni was there who was the most needed one to cook the food. Then the Vayu Deva and the revered Bhoomata. So, basically Indians worshipped the nature that was called ‘Pancha Bhuta’. Trees with medicinal values are also worshipped. Then came the ‘Holy Cow’ that gives milk, curd, butter, buttermilk and finally the Ghee. Bulls used in agriculture also signify the role of cows in the society that was primarily an agrarian one. The association of Lord Krishna to the cow also made the place of a cow in Indian society at an enviable place.
One thing that was consistent in evolution of Indian culture was the value given to the human life. Never the life of a cow is considered above the life of a human being. Yes, the cow is revered. Because, it provides support to sustain the society. The establishment of Yadava Empire at Dwaraka by Krishna and subsequent expansion of Yadava rulers in entire country may perhaps explain why a cow is revered. Yes, Yadavas may be the only clan that ruled almost all parts of India, from the north of Ganga to the south of Kaveri. Dwarka being at the epicenter of Yadava Empire in ancient days might be the reason why present Gujarati population is predominantly vegetarian.
Anyway, it is not a point to establish that beef eating had increased since the days of the Raj. Though the meat in medieval India was predominantly from sheep and goats, beef and pork have also been consumed by people in all regions, though in less numbers. The cost factor also might have worked to the favor of beef increasingly consumed by the lower economic strata of the society.
Though Mahatma Gandhi wanted to protects cows, the central government run by his protégée advised state governments that the cow slaughter need not be banned in full, for the export market of skinned hides would collapse, as the quality of the hide from a natural dead animal is not as good as the quality of the hide that was from a slaughtered cow. After all, business was business, even for the government.
As such, Buddha preached Ahimsa more fervently and stopped indiscriminate killing of cows. Post Buddha, India slowly reduced meat consumption. Even Vivekananda had never supported banning consumption of beef.
And the recent spate of killing people – irrespective of their involvement in cow slaughter is not the way the Indian society evolved. The way people were following instructions or orders to become vigilantes and lynch people is definitely not the way a civilised society should be. Of course, none of the vigilantes could support the cows that wander on the streets, for they are past their usage to their owners. Yes, there are some gaushalas that look after these cows. Still, there are many. More than that there are many human mouths that are waiting for food. If killing is allowed for consumption as food, it doesn’t matter whether a goat is killed or a cow is killed, for the culture and customs of India always held ‘human life’ as the most valuable one.
But, killing a human being in the country that preaches ‘Vasudhaika Kutumbam’ is something that should not exist. This is not Syria to follow orders blindly that are inhumane. And nor the victims are at war with the nation. Under the hide of cow protection, many a people were trying to settle their personal scores. Politics are in full display for and against cow slaughter. Though Gandhi wanted Congress shall have an autonomous body to protect Cows, its leaders are against cow protection, yet they feel they were being Gandhian.
To hell with these politics. As some trainer told me years ago, “We worship even Stones. How can we kill people”?
May be it is time for the learned men to come out and stop this nonsense. If the self-proclaimed protectionists of Hinduism don’t come forward and stop people being lynched, these mindless killings would continue and may cause down fall of the order in the society. It is better learn from the mistakes of Mullahs in Pakistan and Syria. Sometimes one should learn from their opponents – at least on what not to do.