It is not unusual for the Congress President to mock Hindu religion. From ‘Jo Mandir jaate hain vo ladkiyan chhedte hain’ to maligning the Hindu dharma by parroting the fictional term, ‘Saffron Terror’ in front of foreign ambassador, Rahul Gandhi has done many things to hurt Hindu sentiments. Earlier, he used to do mock the Sanatan Dharma in election rallies, but this time he went one step ahead picked the global forum to do so. In his latest sojourn in Dubai, the Congress President said that Mahatma Gandhi borrowed the concept of Non-violence from Ancient Philosophy, Islam, Christianity, Judaism and other scriptures. But he ever mentioned the name of Hindu scriptures or Hindu religion (from where the term ‘Ahimsa’ or Non-violence actually originated); though he claims to be a “Sanatani Hindu”. What a hypocrite this “Shahzada” is!
After meeting with Vice President and ruler of Dubai, Rahul Gandhi addressed a convention attended by the Indians living in Dubai. Where he said, “Mahatma Gandhi picked up the idea of non-violence from our great religion, from our great teachers. Mahatma Gandhi Ji picked up the idea of non-violence from ancient Indian Philosophy, from Islam, from Christianity, from Judaism from every great religion”. But Rahul Gandhi had not for a single time given the credit of non-violence to Hindutva. Most saddening part of the whole story is that few months back he was on a pilgrimage to the “Kailash Manasarovar” and time and again claimed that he is a true follower of Hinduism. It is a thing to wonder that whether it happened due to lack of knowledge or an intentional move to please Muslim voters. Whatsoever the case, one thing is sure that Rahul Gandhi is well aware of the proverb, “While in Rome do as Romans do”.
Interestingly, Mahatma Gandhi has time and again opposed the violent ways adopted in Islam to promote their religion. In an article named “Gandhi on theory and practice of Islam” penned by Anupma Kaushik, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science and Public Administration, Dr Harisingh Gour Central University, she claimed, “He (Mahatma Gandhi) found Muslims to be brave, generous and trusting if their suspicions were disarmed. He however acknowledged that in his experience he has found that Muslims are as a rule bully. However he tried to explain this behavior that the 1300 years of imperialistic expansion has made the Muslims fighter as a body. They are therefore aggressive. Bullying is the natural excrescence of an aggressive spirit. Hence they have become bullies. (Gandhi, 1949, 66) He claimed to have read Quran and to him it did not sanction or enjoin murder. He believed that Muslims have an ordeal to pass through. He felt that they were too free with the knife and the pistol. He cautioned that the sword is not an emblem of Islam, but clarified that Islam was born in an environment where the sword was and remains the supreme law. He lamented that the sword is too much in evidence among the Muslims despite the message of the Prophet. He advised that it must be sheathed if Islam is to be what it means – peace.”
The article further stated, “He clarified that however good Islam may be in the abstract the only way it can be judged is by the effect produced by each of its votaries considered as a whole.) He told the Muslims that they cannot protect Islam with the lathi (stick) or sword. The age of lathi (stick) is gone. Religion will be tested by the purity of its adherents. He argued that if a religion is left to the goondas (criminals) to defend it, it will do serious harm to that religion including Islam. Islam will in that case no longer remain the faith of fakirs (mendicant monks) and worshippers of Allah. (Gandhi, 1949, 78)”.
It is clearly evident from the above arguments that though Gandhi Ji believed that Islam is a religion of peace but he had always condemned the way it was practiced.
Furthermore, the term Ahimsa itself originates in the Vedas. The first mention of the term with the current textual meaning can be found in Rigveda, hymn 10.22.25. The hymn uses words Satya and Ahimsa in the prayer to Indra.
अस्मे ता त इन्द्र सन्तु सत्याहिंसन्तीरुपस्पृशः । विद्याम यासां भुजो धेनूनां न वज्रिवः
(May all beings look at me with a friendly eye, may I do likewise, and may we look at each other with the eyes of a friend)
The roots of Ahimsa (the theory and praxis) are found in the Hindu scriptures and were later elaborated upon by the Jaina literature. It is not only ignorant to say that Mahatma Gandhi borrowed the term from the Abrahamic faith, it also points to a not-so-subtle undermining of the Hindu heritage.