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By: V Sundaram, IAS, Retd.
January 22, 2007
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I was going through the Government of India Websites 10 days ago. I had
the misfortune of running into a Government of India website relating to
e. greetings under four heads: a) Celebrations; b) Heritage; c) Festivals
and d) Glimpses of India. I did not find any e-greeting card for any Hindu
festival. However, there were 16 cards for Christmas and 9 for Eid. I
could clearly see the egalitarian impact of Sachar Committee and Dr
Manmohan Singh's Minority Appeasement Declaration (MAD) in concerted
action even on a Government of India website. I was very happy to note
that many of my friends had also noticed this glaring omission founded on
the political plank of Nehruvian pseudo secularism. Various e-groups
started an e-mail campaign, poured out their minds and hearts in anguish,
making use of the "FEEDBACK" link available at the above site. One of my
friends Capt Balakrishnan, noted for his sardonic wit and wisdom, sent his
feedback to the Government of India website in these well-understood, if
not understanding words: "I find that only EID and CHRISTMAS are mentioned
in the website. I regret to state that there are no e-cards for Hindu
festivals. I wonder whether we have become so "secularized" to the extent
that we are prepared to forget our civilization ethos! What a pity. In
this context I would like to quote these immortal words of Shri Aurobindo
in his last political speech at Uttarpara on 30 May 1909: "I say it again
today, but I put it in another way. I say no longer that nationalism is a
creed, a religion, a faith; I say that it is the Sanatan Dharma which for
us is nationalism. This Hindu nation was born with the Sanatan Dharma,
with it it moves and with it it grows. When the Sanatan Dharma declines,
then the nation declines, and if the Sanatan Dharma were capable of
perishing, with the Sanatan Dharma it would also perish. The Sanatan
Dharma, is indeed nationalism. This is the message that I have to speak to
you". If India is held together, it is because of SANATANA DHARAMA."
Normally for the citizens of India belonging to the majority Hindu
religion, men in the top hierarchy in the Government of India are noted
for having the skin of a Rhinoceros. Yet, it is amazing to note that
Government of India were shamed into not so indecent conduct by the
repeated onslaught and salvos coming from many quarters whose only motto
was "KEEP HITTING THE "SECULAR BRIGANDS". Lo! And BEHOLD!! In the next 48
or 72 hours, suddenly Hindu Festivals started appearing at the website!!
Truth is a rock on which the world is built. Satyena tisthate jagath.
Falsehood can never be the true source of strength. When falsehood is at
the root of a Government, that Government is doomed to failure. Guided or
organized or contrived diplomacy can only help a Government or movement if
it proceeds upon truth. To make pseudo-secular diplomacy the
root-principle is to contravene the laws of both righteous governance and
dignified existence.
Indian American Intellectuals Forum, of which Narain Kataria is the
President, has recently sent a letter to Dr Abdul Kalam, President of
India, inviting his kind attention to the fact that several Ministries in
the Government of India have stopped using the phrase "SATYAMEVA JAYATE"
in the National Emblem on Government Websites/ Documents. It is a
well-known fact that our State Emblem is an adaptation from the Sarnath
Lion Capital of Ashoka the Great. This was adopted by the Government of
India on 26 of January, 1950. The words "SATYAMEVA JAYATE" were inscribed
underneath the Wheel of the Law (Dharma Chakra). The Research Wing of
Indian American Intellectuals Forum headed by Ramesh Gathoria has
identified more than 150 important official documents (I am listing a few
below) on which the words "SATYAMEVA JAYATE" have been omitted from the
Government seal. It is a serious and sensitive omission. Here are a few
sample websites and documents where this calculated lapse or omission of "SATYAMEVA
JAYATE" has taken place:
"Pravasi Bharatiya" Issue No. 8, Volume 1 of 2006 - Ministry of Overseas
Indian Affairs
Embassy of India Paris (http://
www.amb-inde.fr/ )
Circulars issued by the office of the President/Vice President and Prime
Minister of India
India Digest - Vol 4, Issue 20 of 15 October, 2006
Circulars issued by the Department of Atomic Energy and Indian Space
Research Centre ( ISRO )
Circulars issued by the Finance Commission, Ministry of Finance, Govt. of
India
Circulars issued by the Embassy of India, the Hague http://
www.indianembassy.nl/ )
Circulars issued by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs (http://
www.mpa.nic.in/ )
I understand that Gathoria, is planning to visit India shortly in order to
contact the appropriate Government officials to discuss this matter for
ensuring necessary corrective action. It is a matter of national shame
that when the issue was taken to the notice of the Ministry of Culture
sometime ago, no action was taken on the ground that "SATYAMEVA JAYATE" is
irrelevant. Perhaps, they only believe in "Asatyameva Jayate" in thought
and action.
It has been truly said that artists treat facts as stimuli for
imagination, whereas the scientists use imagination to coordinate facts. I
am neither an artist nor a scientist. And yet, the scale and the magnitude
of the organized misdeeds of the UPA Government during the last two years
have enabled me to acquire the skills of a minor artist and a minor
scientist in the world of journalism - a world in which I am an untutored
stripling. As an insignificant free lance journalist, I would allow my
imagination to run free to describe in imaginary terms the sad plight of
the Hindus in majority in India today. Based on my none-too fertile
imagination I am presenting below what are all the lurid possibilities in
which the UPA Government in New Delhi can ensure the total extinction of "Sanatana
Dharma" in India. Here is the thrilling and gripping imaginary story:
a) The great Periyar - one of the greatest intellectual giants in the
history of world civilization, paid his personal tribute to the Tamil
Language in these words: "Tamil is a barbarous language and Tamilians are
barbarians". The UPA Government deriving inspiration from this declaration
of Periyar declared "Sanskrit and Hindi" as barbarous languages and those
Hindus who speak or study these languages are barbarians. It was not
difficult for them to do so because of the recent declaration of
Government that there would be an all-out effort to promote, foster and
develop the Urdu language. To this language, UPA Government have also
added "Arabic" "Persian" and, "Latin" and have completely done away with
Sanskrit and Hindi. The Tigris and the Euphrates rivers, unlike saffron
zed Communal rivers like the Jamuna and the Ganga, are secular,
cosmopolitan, international and no less holy rivers.
b) Another historic moment is the UPA's declaration of the Vedas, the
Upanishads, the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and the Baghavat Gita, all
saffron zed, communal, obsolete and obscurantist scriptures - as
anti-national books proclaiming the message of unprovoked violence
disturbing peace all over the earth. This is done taking note of great and
noble scriptures like the Koran and the Bible as peace-promoting,
love-fostering and humanity-embracing books giving the message of peace
and goodwill among men not only in India but throughout the world - more
specially in the Middle East.
c) A notification is issued by the Government of India to the effect that
the execution of Saddam Hussain was brought about by the subterranean and
underground activities of Hindu Fundamentalist Organizations like the RSS,
the VHP, Bajrangdal, etc.
d) An ordinance is passed removing the details of destruction of Temples
and killing of Hindus by compassionate and peace-loving emperors like
Mohammed of Gazni, Mohammed of Gori, Iltutmish, Balban, Allaudin Khilji,
Timur, Babar, Aurangazib, Nadir Shah, Ahmed Shah Abdali and several other
messengers of peace and compassion from the pages of history in the NCERT
and other Text books.
e) Government of India have issued an ordinance to the effect that all
Pakistan citizens are qualified for dual citizenship rights on the humane
consideration that their mother tongue is Urdu and many of their close
relations are living in India.
Let me now move from the world of my Fantasy and perhaps wild imagination
to the world of ground level reality. There is no doubt that Hinduism has
become a dirty word and all the politicians of India are keen on the
Hindus learning to disown their identity. Renascent Hinduism will have to
contend with these forces. It will have to overcome the forces of
self-denigration and self-alienation. Those who are against India are even
more opposed to Hinduism, a name for India at its deepest and most
cultural and spiritual. Hinduism embodies India's civilization dimension
and gives it cohesion, integrity, continuity and unity. They know that
before they can subvert India, they must subvert Hinduism, that the
country's balkanization is not possible without prior fragmentation of the
Hindu society. Hence, their tenacious attack on Hinduism, their need to
unleash caste politics. The game plan allows the talents of statesmen like
Lalu Prasad Yadavs, Ram Vilas Paswans, Arjun Singhs, V P Singhs, Antulays,
Karunanidhis, etc. full scope for all their political designs. It also
allows the Naxalites, Marxists, Macaulayites to make their full
contribution. It allows Pakistan, petrol-dollars, evangelists, liberation
theologians and several other unnamed agencies to play a crucial role not
always hidden. But let not these and other State-sponsored odds discourage
us. Hinduism has survived in spite of them and it will grow strong in
spite of them. Though Hinduism is weak in many ways, yet it is unshakably
strong in spiritual knowledge and wisdom? Indeed a Rock of the Ages.
V Sundaram, IAS, Retd.
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