How anti-Hindu riots in Bangladesh show that ‘Hindutva vs Hinduism’ distinction is pretend

In late 2019, a number of social media customers have been saying that sure scholar teams at Aligarh Muslim University had raised extremely objectionable slogans pledging to dig the graves of Hindus. As with any variety of issues lately, the “fact-checkers” got here in to whitewash the state of affairs. No, they argued, the scholars at AMU had stated nothing of that kind. The fact-checkers sifted by means of the precise video and found that the slogan raised was about digging the grave of “Hindutva.” Apparently, that makes all of it higher.
This supposed distinction between “Hinduism” and “Hindutva” is now a flagship propaganda merchandise for the Indian and world left. You can use any dehumanizing language you need, so long as you might be cautious to specify that it’s in opposition to “Hindutva.” You are free to name them Nazi, Taliban, ISIS, something and no person will say that you’re bigoted or racist. In truth, saying this stuff will in all probability improve your liberal and progressive picture.
Hindutva is the BJP ideology. And PM Modi, because the chief of the BJP, represents this ideology. And so long as you dehumanize PM Modi and the 23 crore individuals who voted for him, you’re a humanitarian.
But this distinction between Hinduism and Hindutva, how actual is it? One strategy to discover out is whether or not this distinction is rigidly enforced by liberals outdoors India, the place Hindus haven’t any energy in any respect. For occasion, when PM Modi visited Bangladesh final week, violent riots broke out. The minority Hindu group was attacked and quite a lot of temples have been focused.
In different phrases, the bulk group in Bangladesh made no distinction between Hindutva and Hinduism. Interesting. Quite a few editors in India in addition to some worldwide media retailers have tried to spin these incidents as “anti-Modi protests.”
Article by Al Jazeera
In truth, some editors in India used this event to additional reprimand PM Modi. Mend your neighbourhood coverage and your “Hindutva” methods. Or else, they are saying, Hindus gained’t be protected wherever on the planet.
But why? I believed Hindus and Hinduism, typically, don’t have anything to do with “Hindutva.” Why would anybody assault a temple in Bangladesh as a part of “anti-Modi protests”? We have been advised that you just don’t hate strange Hindus. You stated you don’t have anything in opposition to temples. Then, how come?
It isn’t simply the rioters who didn’t make the excellence. First of all, the world was largely silent on anti-Hindu riots in Bangladesh. And after they spoke, they conspicuously tried to blur the road between protesting in opposition to Modi and attacking harmless Hindus and their locations of worship. You can see that clearly on this headline from Al Jazeera. So who was attempting to make “Hinduism” seem to be the identical factor as “Hindutva”?
I used to be advised that “Hindutva” is similar as Nazi ideology. What type of accountable information group would overlook to tell apart between Nazis and customary individuals?
It is apparent what is occurring right here. The “Hindutva vs Hinduism” factor was invented in an effort to idiot Hindus inside India. Outside India, the place Hindus haven’t any energy, you are able to do something you need to Hindus. Inside India, it’s important to be savvier. So you direct your punches at this factor known as “Hindutva” that you just insist is completely totally different. It is a weak cowl story, however with most Hindus in India simply wishing to get on with their lives, it one way or the other works.
Anyone who wears a Hanuman shirt is a terrorist, the liberals inform the world. Also, sarees, Diya, rasam, youngsters enjoying Holi, something that may be related to Hindus is a scourge on humanity. Slightly alarmed, the Indian Hindu typically stops to ask: you guys should not defaming my tradition, are you?
No means, the liberals reply. We are simply blaming “Hindutva.” Hearing this, the Indian Hindu feels reassured, nods and leaves the scene. Once the Indian Hindu is a protected distance away, the liberals burst out laughing.
How unhealthy have issues change into for Hindus now? Regarding the anti-Hindu riots in Bangladesh, Ahmed Mobarak, a professor of economics at Yale, tweeted this.
Tweet by Ahmed Mushfiq Mobarak
Can you consider this? The image exhibits PM Modi providing prayers at an previous Kali Temple in Jessore in Bangladesh. But one way or the other, it’s Modi’s go to which is blamed for spreading violence. The harmless rioters apparently had no selection. They have been easy souls who walked right into a lure set by Modi.
A rioter assaults a Hindu temple in Bangladesh. Who is accountable? Modi! How dare he go to a temple? Now each Hindu in Bangladesh should pay the worth. Look who forgot that Hinduism and Hindutva are two various things. Remember that Hindutva is so totally different and so evil that AMU college students are allowed to lift slogans about burying it alive. And but, Yale professors and world information organizations like Al Jazeera routinely handle to combine up Hinduism and Hindutva.
Why? Because that Yale professor and his mates cater to a world viewers. They haven’t any incentive to fake. Hindus at Yale don’t have the facility to take his job away. So he can snort of their faces and say that Hindus have solely themselves accountable for present in Bangladesh.
Who else is aware of that Hindutva is only a code phrase used to bash Hindus? Other than the common Indian Hindu, just about everybody else. Let me present you this current interview given to Christianity Today by Dr Johnrose Austin Jayalal, the President of the Indian Medical Association about all of the silver linings that his faith has discovered as a consequence of Covid. As you possibly can in all probability inform, this particular person shouldn’t be very vivid. He ended up saying quite a lot of issues, for which he needed to make up excuses later. But right here is an attention-grabbing slip from him that few individuals observed:
“Most of the people are soft-minded. There are fewer hardcore people, apart from excluding the people who are in power. Often people are more understanding; people are more tolerant; people are more able to go along with them. One of the things we must always remember is that Hinduism or Hindutva is different from other religions because of polytheism.”
Wait! What do you imply by “Hinduism or Hindutva?” Did he simply point out that the 2 are roughly the identical? Along with attributes like “soft-minded,” “more understanding” and “tolerant”? I believed Hindutva is similar as Nazism. Is he saying that Nazis are mushy minded?
Yes, I feel even he can see by means of this trick of pretending that Hindutva and Hinduism are totally different. And if an absolute clown-like Dr Johnrose Austin Jayalal can determine this out, can’t you?
One closing lesson right here. Due to elections in West Bengal, there may be plenty of speak about Bengali cultural identification, about who worships Ram and who worships Durga or Kali. Those who fall for such politics would possibly need to see what occurred throughout the border in Bangladesh. Same Bengali language. Same Bengali tradition. Then, why did cultural identification not save the Hindus of Bangladesh? Are the Hindus of Bangladesh additionally “outsiders” from Rajasthan and Gujarat?
The actuality is that each one this speak of cultural sub-nationalism is related solely so long as we Hindus have floor beneath our ft. The world shouldn’t be with us. We Indian Hindus solely have one another. So why not combat one another over language and caste till what’s left of India disintegrates utterly? Who desires a vivid future like that of the Hindus of Bangladesh?