Dear writer, I appreciate your article for raising a sensitive issue in a matured way. The one that liked the most is the title of the article. West is for sure exposing its bigotry and discrimination towards Hindusim. The best I can suggest them is to 'keep quiet when you don't know about it'. Regards, Ravi Sankar Landu
Who is a Hindu !!!
by Subbu on Feb 08, 2006 03:06 PM Permalink
Hi Rajeev, Its good that you have bought this to our view...
One more addition that I would add to this would be, that most of the outsider's and insiders( Hindu's ) really do not know the meaning of a Hindu... Hinduism is not a Religion... even in most of the articles I read its mentioned as a Religion... I strong object it... yes, sure we can have a debate on it.... Hinduism, its a way of life... its not a religion... the Veda's have never told that you have to fallow a particular god or only one god as the real meaning is there are multiple ways to God. The universal God is Om... you can fallow any God and still be a Hindu... Name that God as Krishna or Jesus or Allah or Buddha....
Hindus must get United for depicting Hinduism in proper light and also to remove the misconception abt this World's Best Religion, from the minds of the Western people.
Unfortunately most of the Hindu Americans are either pseudo-secularists or communists, who are ignorant about the Hindu Religion and who do not care to learn the salient features of Hinduism.
It looks as if they were more concerned to prevent entry of Modi into USA, than projecting Hinduism in proper light in USA.
They spent a lot of time, energy and Money on a very trivial issue, where as they do not have time to fight against the Harvard Professor/ California State Education Board, etc to protect their own Religion!
As a suggestion, scholars should look into unrefined article defining HINDU on wikipedia.
Wikipedia is open encyclopedia and becoming benchmark for information exchange. Anyone can go and modify content, add content there.
If everyone reading this comment can go to sections defining hinduism and other terms and add value there, it can be used as source of knowledge for childrens living across globe.
Website www.wikipedia.org
Hindu defined here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindu
This is a shame to all the fundamentalists who even live in the best Universities such as Harvard. I gues another Swami Vivekananda needs to come in and talk about 'Chicago Address'. The time has come. We all should come forward and protect our religion. It is 5000 years old. Muslims ruled India for 500 years and Christians for 200 years. Still hinduism is practiced. This can reflect its eternity. Only stupids think hinduism is to worship cows and monkeys.
Rajeev, Appreciate your concerns and viewpoint about the discrimination meted out to Hindus. Its being going on for ages in some form or other in India itself viz. during the Mughal rule in the form of Jaziya tax, except during the reign of Akbar(if the records are true), etc. However inspite of all this onslaught our ancient civilization have stood the test of times, when all the other ancient religions like Greeks, Romans just vanished away. This is due to the greatness of its Philosophy that is the backbone. Hinduism I believe doesn't need any godfather to survive. It has seen worser days and yet emerged out victorious like the Phoenix.
There is a lot of negativity about Hinduism, and perhaps it is much deserved by Hindus -- every other religion, no matter what their past, provide schools, libraries and other such facilities for their community.
It has been 50 years of Hindu rule, most upperclass Hindus go to Christian private schools while there are barely schools for poor Hindus. The caste system is still rampant in villages and cities . Hindu billionares, millionaires do nothing in terms of great acts of charity or building schools, hospitals.
Hindus have much to learn about compassion and helping others. Most are selfish, only help their own families.
Ancient Vedic people were a different lot than modern Hindus. Perhaps Hindus will be given respect when Hindus start showing the world the true meaning of the Brihadaryanyaka Upanishad:
This is what the divine voice that is thunder repeats DA DA DA, 'Be self-controlled! Give! Be compassionate
I strongly agree with the view that no one religion or community should be dicriminated anywhere in the world. But unfortunately in your column you have 'blindly' discriminated other religions in specific Christianity. You expressed unhappines about the author of 'Great books' by criticising Christainity . From your article i can gather that you yourself discriminate other religions, because of the following reasons: 1.you specifically targetted Christianity without adequate basic knowledge or faith in it, i was wondering is it really NECESSARY to cricise other religions.(i hope you won't defend it with 'irrational' explanations) 2. You are talking about Hindus being teased in western country, what about my self!i was bullied because of my non-hindu religion till my college levels in my own country India. And what would you suggest to combat this issue, i hope you will not ask me to change my religion. 3.What about Hindus and Muslims living together in India? iam really interested in your 'rational' comments about it(referring to Chrstians and Muslims in other countries) Srinivasan!Please break through the Discriminatory concept about religion. Be sympathetic to other humans.
Why doesn't India Abroad (rediff's weekly) publish Rajeev's articles such as this well researched one in IA? I have seen only one. Whereas I have seen tens of anti-hindu letters from commies hiding behind hindu names. One of these days I will cancel my subscription if Prem and Sai don't correct this imbalance.
This article clearly shows the ignorance of world towards the way of life of the Indians ( I wouldn't call it Hinduism as religion). All other religions came after many many years the lifesyle the Indians were having since long. Like all other socites of the world this way of life also had some Short comings. All other societies also have some short comings. No society in the world is perfect. The society in India was classified (not divided) on the basis of the work he does. Classifications became Divisions. That classification was purely for Scintific reasons and not to Discriminate people. Classifications were misused to rule and curb the people. But all this does not minimise the importance of VEDAS and he ancient scriptures that our fore fathers have left for us. I am sure the vedas and the Bhagvat Gita will prove to be the Torch to the whole world and guide everyone to right path. I am Born in a Brahmin Family, Educated in a Convent (christian School). I am by default a Brhmin. But given a choice to choose a life style I would choose the Brahmin life style of living. Because that is the only life style which is purely scintific. Many more things to write,
