The War Against Hinduism

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The War Against Hinduism

 

American Scholar on Indian Christian Schools - The War Against Hinduism

 

By Stephen Knapp

Organiser

 

Another way that India is slowly losing its Vedic culture is through the process

of secular or English and Christian education. Of course, in public schools all

Vedic books have been removed from the curriculum. So there are no possibilities

to study the ancient Indian literature or art. Thus Vedic values are no longer

part of what the children are taught. Furthermore, the Christian schools, often

staffed by Christian missionaries, can teach Christian values in their classes,

and include a short study of the Bible everyday, or of a Koran if it´s an

Islamic school. The so-called secular govern-ment has even helped them with free

land and facilities. Since these schools offer English in their education, along

with good discipline, many of the middle classes of Indians are favouring

sending the children to these schools. Today, in the Indian cities, many parents

of today´s children are the graduates of Christian schools, who also send their

own children to such schools. As this trend

continues, there will be a decreasing number of Hindus in the educated sector.

Thus, children in India, with the help of the secular government, are learning

Christian values and perceiving their own history and culture as something less

than honourable. They are taught that such important books as the Bhagavad Gita,

Ramayana, Bhagavat Purana and other Vedic texts are nothing more than mythology,

and not a reuslt of one of the most profound civilisations of the world. They

are also taught that their own God is but a demon and the only real way to God

is through Jesus.

 

An example of this is that a few devotees from the New Delhi Iskcon (Hare

Krishna) temple go out and give presentations at children´s classes in schools.

Some of the questions that are asked by the children are, “Who is your God?” and

“What can your God do for me?” and so on. Obviously, these questions are nothing

but a direct result of the Christian and English-oriented education that these

children are receiving. Now I ask anyone, ‘Isn´t this practically a covert form

of conversion?´ This form of education indoctrinates the children to doubt their

own culture, and disrespect their own history and traditions. As a result of

this form of education, the Hindu population is slowly forgetting the unique

history and lofty culture of their homeland.

 

As I travelled around, it was not unusual to see elementary schools around India

with the name something like ‘Saint Xavier´s School´. People should know that

this Francis Xavier, who is now one of the greatest so-called ‘saints´,

feverishly declared, “When I have finished baptising the people, I order them to

destory the huts in which they keep their idols; and I have them break the

statues of their idols into tiny pieces, since they are now Christians. I could

never come to an end describing to you the great consolation which fills my soul

when I see idols being destroyed by the hands of those who had been idolaters,”

(from The Letters and Instructions of Francis Xavier, 1993, pp 117-8). This was

his goal: to destroy Indian culture and make India a Christian nation. So it is

ironic that now India embraces the schools that honour him in this way. How

could they not know his true intention?

 

What is often not recognised is that, up until recently, for the last 50 years

the politicians who have been directing the destiny of India are the ones who

have an anti-Hindu attitude. They have set the eocnomic direction and the

educational policies that the country has been forced to follow. They have also

promised the protection of the religious minorities with the hope of acquiring

votes. This has been one of the reasons why the secularists in the Congress

Party have treated everything that is Hindu with disdain.

 

Another aspect of the loss of Vedic culture in India is that the younger Indian

generation, especially in ages from 15 to 25, are readily giving up Vedic

customs to follow the more decadent so-called freedom of the West. They see the

western movies, they read what the celebrities say in the papers, and they

admire them and want to adopt their form of dress and lifestyles. Thus, in big

cities like Mumbai, you have Indian couples living together without marriage,

which is something you never would have seen before, a few years back. Now the

Vedic principles are looked upon as something obsolete, something that restrict

the style that those who look to the West want to adopt. Thus, they are leaving

Indian traditions behind and losing respect for anything Vedic. In this way,

they adopt foreign standards, or lose so much respect for Indian and Vedic

values that they become embarrased to admit their Hindu background and heritage.

Furthermore, Sanskrit scholars at the temples are also

slowly dying out, and the modern Indians view the Ramayana and Mahabharata as

merely myths or gaudy television shows.

 

Although India has been invaded by outsiders so many times and has always

survived, what we are talking about is more than mere property or geography.

What is actually being threatened is the basis of Indian culture itself. As

younger generations give up their Vedic heritage, even if they return to it

later when they are older and looking for more philosophical support, with

whatever percentage of loss that occurs with each generation, time has shown

that it is never fully recovered. A portion of it is lost forever.

 

Another way of looking at this is that India presently enjoys an 85 per cent

Hindu majority in its population. This may sound quite significant, but in

actuality this includes 15 per cent Buddhists, Sikhs, and Jains. So it is really

only a 70 per cent majority. How many more generations will go by before we see

a big drop in this percentage due to the process of secular (meaning Christian

or English, or even Islamic) education, or with the present rate of conversions

by tactless Christians? This percentage could easily drop well below 50 per cent

in only several more generations at the present rate of change.

 

How many more generations will it take before the Hindu majority is no longer a

majority, but a minority in its own country? As Hinduism declines, you will see

that the demands on the government and those voted into politics will also

change, and the laws will also alter more in favour of the increasing minority

religions at the expense of declining Hinduism. Then, as the years go by, there

will appear only small clusters of Hindu or Vedic communities, most likely

centred around prominent holy places, until the more aggressive religions act in

ways to diminish these as well, in the same way that they are presently doing in

other countries.

 

The point of all this information is that it is time for all Hindus and

followers of the Vedic culture, Sanatana dharma, to realise what is actually

happening and give up their timidness or nonchalance and speak out while such

freedom still exists. We must become more pro-active for defending this culture.

The point is that if you do not take it seriously, I can assure you that there

are others who can take this inaction and tolerance extremely seriously to

promote their own goals and religions in India. It is because of this that India

may not always remain the homeland of an active and thriving Vedic culture as it

is now. We need to protect whatever is left of it and maintain the present

liberties that Hindus still have in India. Then we all can continue to engage in

Vedic traditions without hindrance, and with full freedom. For this, we need to

unite ourselves in a concerted effort to make this happen. And it most certainly

is possible.

 

Recently, as told to me by Professor Subhash Kak, it was noted in a reputable

publication that now one per cent of the Russian population claim that they are

Hindu. The article stated that this was primarily due to the preaching efforts

of Iskcon. This shows a major social impact. This shows what is possible if we

can work together in a concerted effort. This is why I am convinced that if we

all work in a pro-active way under the banner of a united family of Vedic

followers, we can keep and even expand the present freedom that we now have to

practise Vedic traditions, and keep India as the homeland of Vedic culture—the

most ancient roots of humanity.

 

India must be protected and kept as the homeland of the Vedic heritage, Sanatana

dharma, Hinduism. Without it, what is its value, in spite of whatever else it

accomplishes? The value of Hinduism and India are clearly expressed in the words

of the famous English theosophist, Dr Annie Besant. She put great emphasis on

the value of India, its history, the Vedic culture, and its importance to the

world. As written in the cover notes from the book, Hindus, Life-Line of India,

by G.M. Jagtiani, she says: “After a study of some 40 years and more of the

great religions of the world, I find none so perfect, none so scientific, none

so philosophic, and none so spiritual as the great religion known by the name of

Hinduism. The more you know it, the more you will love it; the more you try to

understand it, the more deeply you will value it. Make no mistake: without

Hinduism, India has no future. Hinduism is the soil into which India´s roots are

struck, and torn of that she will inevitably

wither, as a tree torn out from its place. Many are the religions and many are

the races flourishing in India, but none of them stretches back into the far

dawn of her past, nor are they necessary for her endurance as a nation. Everyone

might pass away as they came, but India would still remain. But let Hinduism

vanish and what is she? A geographical _expression of the past, a dim memory of

a perished glory, her literature, her art, her monuments, all have Hindudom

written across them. And if Hindus do not maintain Hinduism, who shall save it?

If India´s own children do not cling to her faith, who shall guard it? India

alone can save India, and India and Hinduism are one.”

 

As Hinduism declines, you will see that the demands on the government and those

voted into politics will also change, and the laws will also alter more in

favour of the increasing minority religions at the expense of declining

Hinduism. Then, as the years go by, there will appear only small clusters of

Hindu or Vedic communities.

 

In this light, it is absolutely necessary that as followers of Sanatana dharma,

Vedic culture, we realise that we need to repair whatever differences we have

between us regarding whatever issues there may be. This is necessary in order to

work with some cooperation with whoever we can, if we expect to be a substantial

force in defending the Vedic cause. Otherwise, all the issues that invariably

come up, although these should not be ignored, should not take so much of our

attention that our preaching stops. Otherwise, we will only serve as

contributors to the continuing deterioration of all spiritual standards as the

age of Kali progresses. This preaching, of course, means that we must all stay

in touch with and practise the Vedic standards.

 

We cannot allow ourselves to be led into the danger of endless debate that leads

to inaction. We all must be pro-active in some way to help defend and spread

Vedic culture. Then we can work together to keep the freedom we presently have

to practise the Vedic traditions and keep India as the homeland of a thriving,

dynamic, and still living tradition. Such freedom does not come without its

challenges, and we must be prepared as a society to meet those challenges. To

take such freedom for granted means that it is only a matter of time before it

is lost. And that is exactly what some people want to happen. So we must be

willing to work all the harder to prevent such a decline of our Vedic heritage.

 

 

 

 

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