April 1988
MY TURNNavigating History's Ups & Downs
Gupta, Badlu Ram
There is a distinct, widely
shared feeling in the country that Hinduism is going down and passing
through a critical question of its very existence. It is indeed surrounded
more by foes than friends all round. The dangers posed and the challenges
mounted by them are quite formidable. No wonder a deep sense of
frustration, cynicism and pessimism is sweeping the ranks of Hinduism
today.
However, for a just and fair appraisal of the situation, we
will have to approach it with an open mind. The fact of the matter is
that, in spite of all the challenges the Hindu society is confronted with
and the troubles and tribulations it is entangled in today, the over-all
scenario is not altogether so dismal and disconcerting. There is nothing
to despond for Hindus and Hinduism. Ups and downs are an inseparable,
inalienable part of the game of human life and have to be taken in stride.
Innumerable examples from present and past history can be cited to prove
the point.
For instance, there was a time, not very long ago, when
England was considered the most powerful country in the world, so much so
that the sun did not set in the British empire. Mark the vicissitudes of
life - today its writ does not run beyond the frontiers of its own land.
It has no leverage left in the international arena. For another, the fate
that befell and the plight that overtook the Jews in the accursed
concentration camps and gas chambers of Hitler would make anybody's hair
stand on end. It is not very old history. But today Israel, the homeland
of the self-same Jews, is the awe and envy of the whole world.
We
did have our heyday in the past when the frontiers of Bharat included
Afghanistan in its territory in the west and Malaysia and Indonesia in its
jurisdiction in the cast. The present, too, is not without its
compensations.
The West, by and large, appears to be impressed and
inspired by the Hindu way of life, which has caught the imagination of
innumerable people there. Oppressed and disillusioned with the philosophy
of stark materialism, millions of people in England, America, Europe and
elsewhere are turning to Hinduism for relief and respite. Which other
religion in the world is so emphatic, forthright and earnest in the
enunciation and implementation of these most cherished values and ideals
of a civilized society?
The usual tendency to equate Hindu Dharma
with other religions like Islam and Christianity, in the name of Sarva
Dharma Sambhava, "all religions are equal," must be deprecated by all
manner of means. Hinduism, which not only preaches universal love and
brotherhood, an intense spirit of tolerance and accommodation and perfect
catholicity of mind, cannot be bracketed with Islam and Christianity. They
stand for total self-aggrandizement and have spread mostly through sword
and fire. History bears ample testimony to the carnage perpetrated and
havoc wrought by them.
Hindu Dharma is essentially and basically
Manav Dharma, which is meant for the whole human race and not for any
particular class of people or any specific geographical region. Its basic
tenets, which invariably have harmonizing and stabilizing effect on life,
have a distinct universal, human ring about them. Hindu scriptures possess
the unique, unrivaled distinction of abounding in and highlighting such
lofty tenets. The world needs the influence of the Vedas, Upanishads and
Gita.
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