rajeev@sfsup.UUCP (S.Rajeev) (03/19/86)
> The basic tenet of our constituition is to move away from the > fundamentalism of any religion. What you are suggesting will simply > help perpetuate the ills of orthodox Hinduism. Secondly, creating additional > castes will simply add to the existing problems of rampant casteism. Whoa, gentlemen! I fear you misunderstand me: I certainly do not ADVOCATE the creation of new castes and the absorption of religious minorities into these. (I feel strongly that "rampant casteism", as you accurately depict it, is THE worst aspect of traditional Hinduism.) I am merely pointing out that there is a simple way for orthodox Hindus to rationalize away the presence of Muslims, etc. > We think the spectre of Muslim fundamentalism is existing and is > not raised by RSS or any other organization. I agree that Muslim fundamentalism is a world-wide phenomenon. But it is also true that the RSS gets considerable mileage out of this. > Secondly, organizations like RSS have never acquired any power. Well, perhaps not explicitly, but weren't the Jan Sangh and the RSS on extremely good terms at one point, with people being members of both? > We think it is fashionable to use RSS as a whipping boy without > trying to understand what it stands for. The concept of > Hindu Rashtra professed by RSS encompasses all indians irrespective > of their religious beliefs. Also, the concept of Hindu Rashtra does > not mean spreading Hinduism but the revival of Indian values and culture. The RSS certainly originated as a conservative organization devoted to the resurrection of Hinduism as it once was. That is precisely where I differ with the RSS (or indeed any conservative group: they hunger for a golden age somewhere in the past that really never existed.) -- I feel that the RSS is not a progressive force that tries to reform Hinduism. (Note your phrase "revival of Indian values ...") I have considerable sympathy for the RSS: I want a resurgent Hinduism, too. Furthermore, the RSS does much good work on behalf of the poor. But I think that their ideas are too retrogressive; in practice I have seen the RSS encourage reactionary, caste-ridden activities. > We have yet to see any so-called liberal-minded newspaper or magazine > attacking fundamentalist organizations like Jamate-e-Islami who > have exploited the innocent muslims by arousing fear in their > minds. Raju Yavatkar > Rajiv Khanna The Jamaat-E-Islami and other communalist organization deserve to be blamed for provoking religious hatred: no disagreement from me. Sri Rajeev