Source: www.timesofindia.com
India on the surface is the world’s largest democracy, but in reality underneath all the glib narrative is run by a muddled Hindutva ideology. Hindutva is grounded in a myth, wherein the subcontinent flourished only when governed by Hindus. The Hindutva belief is that India’s original Hindu identity needs to be restored to bring an era of eternal peace and prosperity. The irony in this belief is the Indian subcontinent, in its entire existence, was never based on a single religion. The largest ruling monarch in India’s history prior to colonial unification was the Mauryan dynasty under Asoka who espoused Buddhism and not Hinduism. It’s worthy to note that Buddhism came into existence based on the frailties of the Hindu religion or its mutations. Subsequently the only largest monarch were the Mughals, who were Islamic. Quite contrary to the Hindutva delusions, India flourished as a pluralistic society where many religions evolved from this very land and many foreign ones were freely embraced. What made the sub-continent great apart from its diversity and spiritual wealth was it’s immense natural resources and free trade. All principles we must actively attempt to reignite.
Hindutva espouses a governance under the principles of Ram Rajya . Ram Rajya translates to the rule of lord Ram. It was upon Ram’s return from banishment, after slaying a Sri Lankan king, ensued a utopian age of Ram Rajya. However, this entire period in history is so sparsely documented that one has to wholly rely on poems written by bards known to exaggerate and glorify the ruling kings as gods. The only documented proof of Ram’s existence lies in Valmiki’s poem Ramayan. He with utmost devotion proclaims that lord Ram ruled for eleven thousand flawless years. Ram in this utopia ruled a state free of disease, one where everything flourished and bloomed.
However, upon close examination one will find, the factual contradictions quite extraordinary. Ram’s birth, based on astrological dating, is 5th January 5089BC, this will make his reign pre-Sumerians. Even if that was true, the dating makes it impossible for him to have ruled for eleven thousand years, unless Valmiki wrote the Ramayana three thousand years from now in 5911AD. However archeological dating reveals the Ramayana was written in the 5th century AD.
Why all of this is relevant? The current Indian prime minister Modi is touted to be by many as Ram reincarnate and his governance the modern day Ram Rajya. The symbolism of this is by resurrecting the Hindu temple under Modi in Ram’s birth place Ayodya, through the destruction of the Babri mosque. These are clever symbolism, much like the Ramayan, to brand in people’s minds the end of one era (i.e. Islamic) and the beginning of the era of Hindutva. Well, let us at least hope it doesn’t last eleven thousand years.
The rising Hindu majoritarianism stems from a fear psychosis that the 15% Islamic minority is imminently out populating the 80% majority Hindu population . The facts of course are quite different. The Islamic population has grown at an average annual growth rate of 2.54% since 1961 and will require an additional 200 years to even come close to topple the Hindus as a majority religion. That’s a lot for a religion founded just 1500 years ago. While muslims constitute 15% of the population they only hold 27/543 seats in the lower house of the parliament, less than 5%, and thereby remain politically under represented. Muslims also remain the poorest religious population in the country according to a 2015 NSSO survey their gross per capita expenditure is a meager Rs. 32.66 as compared to Christians in India who spend Rs.51.43. The Muslim population in India rank at the bottom on almost every economic parameter from education to land ownership. The above facts reveal any fear of dominance to be quite absurd. But it is through such fears that any measure to improve the Muslim condition as minority is labeled as minority appeasement or vote bank politics.
