Consolidating the Hindu Society

While ancient India was able to Indianise various foreign invaders, the present Hindu society has become so fragmented with many marginalized castes showing readiness to convert to Islam and Christainity. To deliberate on this issue, way back in 1926-27 Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya visited Mysore State and took part in a meeting held at the Parakala Mutt.

Speaking on the occasion, Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya said that Hindu society has no arrangements for religious initiation for people belonging to lower castes. Therefore these people, bereft of any initiation and without any awareness of the greatness of their religion, think that their religion has nothing important in it and get converted to other religions.

To arrest this trend of Hindus belonging to the marginalized caste converting to other faiths, Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya suggested that religious mutts should appoint Pandits who should give the non-Brahmin communities some kind of religious initiation or diksha. He suggested that on auspicious days like Ramanavami, Mahashivaratri, Durgashtami, etc, any person, man or woman who is interested in diksha should be taught a mantra of the God of their choice which they should repeat either in the morning or evening every day sitting in front of the picture of the God. (Public Affairs, vol xxiv- 8, August 1981, pp: 120-122, GIPA, Bangalore)

To little too late

What Madan Mohan Malaviya suggested may have worked during his time. But at present non-Brahmins including Dalits have educationally, economically and politically advanced and have developed a sense of pride. They are not willing to be subservient to the so called forward castes even in religious and spiritual matters. They have become aware of the derogatory and discriminative writings contained in the Dharmashastras and other works composed by the forward castes in Sanskrit which has been translated into English and other languages and available freely in public domain including internet. Hence in the present circumstances to consolidate the Hindus society very radical measures has to be taken like –

Appointment of Hindus belonging to all communities including Dalits in temples under the control of the government.

Encouraging all communities to have their own mutts to impart spiritual knowledge and give diksha to their community members (and also to other Hindus and non-Hindus who are interested to become Hindus). These mutts should undertake research on their community’s history, traditions, customs, cuisine, crafts, etc and publish them. Government should provide grants to these community based mutts to build temples, educational institutions and hostels. These mutts should organise annual religious jatras/melas where prominent personalities belonging to their community and also other communities should be honoured. (Compared to other southern states Karnataka has a vibrant Hindu population as all communities including Dalits have their own mutts).

All derogatory and discriminatory writings against non-Brahmins contained in Manu Smrti and other books (Dharmashastras) should be removed and just as the present day Germans have disowned Hitler and condemned the Holocaust, the forward community should condemned untouchability and publicly issue a statement that they consider all Hindus as equal and none superior or inferior.

At present the Tantric form of Hinduism is followed by all Hindus including the forward castes. Hence the forward castes should stop harping on the issue that Hinduism is based on Vedas. As the Vedic religion excludes Shudras who constitute eighty percent of the Hindu population from studying Vedas and performing Vedic sacrifices naturally the majority of Hindus have contempt for it. Moreover the Vedic religion had become defunct long ago and even those who call themselves Vaidiks do not worship Vedic gods or perform Vedic sacrifices. The present day Hindus including the forward castes worship Puranic gods and sectarian gods like Shiva and its attendant gods; and Vishnu and and his various avatars. The method of worshipping these gods is based on agamas and not on Vedas.

Offering of pujas in temples by reciting mantras composed in Indian languages should be recognized and not frowned upon.

Non-Hindus should be able to find Hindu religion attractive and progressive to accept it. Otherwise Hinduism will be like just another religion with dos and don’ts. Hence Hindu religious leaders and saints should refrain from criticizing those who eat meat or consume alcohol and also from imposing dress codes for women visiting temples as spirituality has nothing to do with diet, dress or what one does during his/her leisure time.

At least once or twice in a year pontiffs of all mutts should assemble so as to deliberate on issues related to Hindus and Hindu religion.

The government should convince caste leaders not to oppose their young men and women if they marry a person outside their caste but within the Hindu fold and impose death penalty for prepetators of honour killings. Also the government should give protection to those non-Hindus who get converted to Hinduism and who are threatened by their co-religionists for apostasy.