Aap Hindu ho hi nahin (You are not Hindus)…Rahul Gandhi’s direct hit at the BJP in Parliament the other day provides an interesting fresh life to an old debate. It’s not so much about who is a Hindu – this matter is well-settled in the everyday beliefs, practices and rituals of the faithful, not necessarily who they align with politically. The crux of the debate is ownership: Who does Hinduism belong to? It has a clear political dimension.
The Hindutva question that has kept the country riveted and divided over the last decade is fundamentally about moderates and extremists fighting it out over their claim on Hinduism. The sustained attack on the ecosystem of liberals, rationalists and free-thinkers within the religion from the ecosystem of extremists is adequate proof of it. Muslims, Christians and nationalism are just props in the main battle, not central to it.
The fight, where both sides try to protect their turf and expand it, is not unusual. It happens in all religions. Muslim bigots have won in some countries. Christianity had a long, bruising battle involving the church and the state. In Hinduism, in reality, it’s not a new development. The friction has always been present over the centuries. It is more pronounced now.
A good way to resolve the conflict in a democratic country is through political mandate. It is never conclusive, but it is a good indicator to which way the public opinion is tilted. Till the year 2014, which witnessed an emphatic victory for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the ecosystem of moderates prevailed. In the 2019 elections, the popular verdict reconfirmed the rise and acceptability of the Hindutva ecosystem, with Modi as its face and mascot. It appeared invincible, irreplaceable and well-set for a long stint in power. The results of the election in 2024, however, delivered a surprise. The BJP failed to get a majority on its own and the moderates staged a comeback. They always missed a leader to put up the good fight. It appears, in Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition, they have found one.
And he has thrown down the gauntlet. In his speech, he emphasised that the BJP, RSS and Modi were not the entire Hindu society. While making this point, he questioned the legitimacy of the claim of the BJP, the RSS and Modi to be the sole representative of all Hindus. He has drawn the battle line. As both sides harden positions in the coming days, we can expect some interesting discussion on the matter.
A reality check for Hinduism is in order at this point. More Hindus hate Hindus these days. The deficiency of trust within is too stark. If we go by the Hindutva advocates, a whole gamut of Hindus, including rationalists, liberals, Leftists, free-thinking intellectuals and champions of socio-cultural change are anti-Hindu. Add to the list those not voting for the BJP. Taken together they could account for a huge section of the community. The irony is hard to miss. The same people who talk of strong and united Hinduism are busy alienating Hindus.
The idea of Hindu India harps on the centrality of Hindu identity to nation-building yet it would make no effort to bind the community together and project it as a cohesive entity. This is intriguing. The champions simply are oblivious to the fact that the fissures they have been creating won’t make the idea sustainable. This is the very reason foreign invaders, whom they hate so much, found it easy to conquer India.
At some point, the reconciliation must begin. And, the talk of collective ownership should kick in. One Hindu telling another Hindu ‘Aap Hindu ho ho nahin’ is not going to help the cause of Hinduism in any way.
(By Arrangement With Perspective Bytes)