Saffron Book

Prafull Goradia

Description

Hindutva is the only binder which can galvanize the Indian nation towards progress and prosperity. In essence, nationalism is synergy. The effort of four Indians should yield the result equivalent to five or six of them. Most Christians and Muslims of India have a Hindu ancestry. Their collective memory has not necessarily forgotten their castes. It is not uncommon to find a Catholic claiming himself to be a Brahmin and insisting on a Brahmin bride. Nor is it unusual to come across a Muslim who claims that he is a Rajput to indicate that he is not a convert from any other caste. The Bohras are forthright in their claim that all of them were converted from Brahmins.

Sujets

• Philosophie et théologie
• Philosophy of religion

Informations

• Publié par: Diamond Books
• Date de parution: 01 janvier 0001
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9788128816628
• Langue: English

Extrait

THE SAFFRON BOOK
Many Splendoured Hindutva
 

 
eISBN: 978-81-2881-662-8
© Author
Publisher: CONTEMPORARY TARGETT LTD.
Soul Distributor : Diamond Pocket Books Pvt. Ltd.
A-24 Block B-l, Mohan Cooperative Industrial Estate, Mathura Road, New Delhi - 110 004
Edition: 2002
The Saffron Book: Many Splendoured Hindutva
By - Prafull Goradia
 
 
 
The measure of love is what one is willing to give up for it. Every day I ask myself: what am I giving up for my motherland which has given me so much?
Contents
Glossary
INTRODUCTION
1 Awake and Unite
2 Why The Saffron Book?
SURAAJ
3 Vision
4 Economic Face
5 Abolish Casteism
6 Bride Burning, Divorce
7 Rape, Prostitution
8 Revolutionising Education
9 The Constitution
10 Small States
NATIONALISM
11 Nationalism
12 Pan-Islamism
13 Communism
14 Subnationalism
15 Casteism
HINDUTVA
16 Hindutva is Dialectical
17 Origin of Hindutva
18 Medieval Phase
19 Modern Resurgence
20 Not Fundamentalism
21 Not Fascism
22 Tolerance
23 Strengths
24 Weaknesses
25 Opportunities
26 Threats
27 Individual Brilliance
HUMILIATION
28 My Muslim Associations
29 Gandhi’s Illusion
30 Mutual Misunderstanding
31 Shias
32 Wither Islam?
33 Quwwatul Islam (Delhi)
34 Adhai Din Ka Jhopra (Ajmer)
35 Jaunpur (Uttar Pradesh)
36 Siddhpur (Gujarat)
37 Vidisha (Madhya Pradesh)
38 Mathura
39 Benares
40 Somnath
41 Conclusion
HINDU PARADOXES
42 Idolatry
43 Fatalism
44 Double Standards
45 Masochistic Fringe
46 Fifth Column
47 No Soul before Birth
Glossary
Sanskrit, Hindi, Urdu and other non-English words used in the book and their meaning . A ad lib without restriction alvida goodbye anadi without beginning anant without end angvastram unstitched garment for upper body akashvani All India Radio arzal opposite of ashraf ashraf people of noble birth ashram hermitage ashwamedha horse sacrifice atma soul avataar incarnation B badshah king basti locality bhagwa colour resembling saffron bhaktiyoga pursuit of devotion bhagya destiny butparasti idol worship C chappal slippers charkha spinning wheel chhalni sieve crore ten million D dargah Muslim shrine darshan appearance darul Islam country ruled by Islamic edicts dhaba roadside restaurant dham place of pilgrimage dharma a combination of morality, duty and faith dhoti unstitched garment generally worn by Indians durbhagya misfortune dushkarma misdeed F farz duty force de frappe striking strength G gaddi throne gnan knowledge gnanyoga pursuit of knowledge grihasth jecvan family life gujjar farming community H halal legitimate haraam forbidden harijan name given to untouchables by Gandhiji I idgah place for Eid namaz imaan faith ishwar allah tero nam devotional song itr perfume J jat a farming community janmabhoomi birthplace jaziya tax on Hindus jeevatma individual soul jhatka single stroke slaughter K kafir non-believer kapol bania a sub-caste of Vaishyas or trading community karma deed karta head of the family karmayoga pursuit of deeds karmayogi action-oriented person khadi handspun and woven cloth khalifa representative of the Prophet kshatriya warrior community khilafat movement to save the Caliphate L lakh hundred thousand lebensraum living space M mandir temple maryada purushottam ideal man, upholder of morality used to describe Sri Ram mashaal torch mazhab religion mehndi henna mehraab wall which Muslims face during prayer mohajir migrant moksha salvation from rebirth momin believer moorti idol mujahid soldier in holy war mukti salvation from rebirth mullah Muslim priest muktatma soul reborn after salvation like Lord Krishna mutt monastery or hermitage N namaz Muslim prayer nandi sacred bull nirvana salvation from rebirth nizam-e-mustafa system devised by Allah or God P panda Hindu priest parmatma supreme soul pathshala school pesha profession pitribhu fatherland pratima statue pugree headgear puja worship punyabhu holy land purdah veil Q qaid-e-azam great leader qayamat doomsday qila fort R rajdhani capital ranchhod who quit the battlefield rishi sage roza fast S saltanat kingdom samadhi place commemorating salvation of saint sanatan dharma eternal faith sansar worldly life sanyas renunciation sanyasi one who renounced the world satyagraha nonviolent protest satyagrahi one who protests nonviolently shahi imam spiritual leader appointed by king shikar hunting shivling symbol of Lord Shiva shraddh prayer for departed soul shuddhi purification siddhi perfection sindoor vermillion swadeshi indigenous suraaj good governance T tabbot coffin talaaq divorce taluka sub-division of a district taqdeer destiny tawaif courtesan tazia model of Imam Hussain’s mausoleum tikka mark on forehead tyaga renunciation tyagi one who renounces U ulema Muslim scholars ummah Muslim nation upnayana thread ceremony among Hindus urs death anniversary of saint V vaahan vehicle vanvaas exile to forest vratyastoma a religious rite W watan native place Y yagna sacred fire yuvaraj heir apparent
Introduction
1
Awake and Unite!
After centuries, a unique opportunity has come our way. The current can be the Indian century provided we Indians amalgamate as metals in an alchemy. Combined to create a national synergy so that the efforts of four Indians lead to the result of five or six. That is the only way we can generate surpluses in order to leapfrog across lost centuries.
For the greater part of history, brawn has dominated brain, muscle has overruled mind. World War II was an epic example of the resulting brutality. Now, at last, a time has come when the brain is beginning to ride the body. The greed of nations no longer covets the territory of other countries. Colonialism ended decades ago as land ceased to be the principal source of wealth. In the process, trade has replaced war as the instrument for countries to enrich themselves. The Indian generally, and the Hindu in particular has preferred trade to war.
At the dawn of this new millennium, there are high hopes and many expectations. With the advent of the computer revolution, we are set to play a big role in information technology. Five million or more Indians are likely to get rich as a result. That is a matter not only of hope but also honour. But India is a nation of a hundred crore. What about the rest of our people? Just as a chain is as weak as its weakest link, a society is as woeful as its poorest section. Unless we enable all our people to have a chance to be well off, India will not be united enough to seize the opportunity.
Apart from the difference between the poor and the rich, there are several obstacles in the path of Indian unity. The Muslim contempt and the Hindu hatred must be overcome.
This is the deepest and the widest schism in our society. Without removing or bridging it, India cannot be truly one nation. I have therefore devoted a great deal of space to this syndrome. Many leaders ranging from Emperor Akbar to Bhakta Kabir to Mahatma Gandhi have all failed to bridge the schism except temporarily or in a few sectors. Their approach was to placate whereas mine is to be open and frank. Unless everyone is enabled to express oneself freely, no true dialogue, or understanding can come about. After all, there can be no true friendship without frankness. How can there be a true friendship unless the two speak up the truth about each other?
Women must get their equal place in society. Casteism must go. There should be no need for anyone to feel like a dalit or a neglected tribal. This book shows how these gulfs can be bridged. Unless every region of the country makes equable progress, national unity will be difficult to sustain. The backward region would have a grievance while the prosperous area would consider the poor an economic drag. The vast difference in the employment prospects of those educated in English and the rest has to be removed, if ours is to be a united society.
A bane of our country are the anti-Hindu Hindus who enjoy all the legitimacy of their Hindu pedigree including names such as Sitaram, Harkishan and yet spend all their lives trying to divide our society by inciting the poor without reducing their poverty, instigating the Muslim without redressing his grievance. In fact, they form a perennial fifth column. Are they not a symptom of a masochistic trait? Or, are they a cancer that destroys the pride and self-confidence of Indians as a nation? Or else how can India tolerate a street in the middle of New Delhi that commemorates Aurangzeb?

 
2
Why The Saffron Book?
Dear Reader
It was at a friend’s house in Kochi in 1996 that I encountered an intelligent youngman. If I remember right, his name was Ratnakaran. In the wake of a general election, a ministry had been formed at the centre but voted out within thirteen days. There was still a great deal of excitement in the air about Hindutva and the reason why it was considered untouchable by most political parties.
Ratnakaran was sure about the reason. How could any sensible person associate himself with a movement inspired by mendicants and sadhus in saffron? Ratnakaran was at an English university in 1992 where he had seen pictures of men with tridents in hand, presumably at Ayodhya. He could recall a magazine cover as well. The report inside was damning.
Being a resident of Kerala, he had evidently enjoyed arguments on the pros and cons of dialectical materialism. The only acceptable alternatives were either a version of capitalism or the in between approach often called welfarism practised by social democrats in Europe/To Ratnakaran, the rest was tribalism or chauvinism, fascism or obscurantism. In his perception, Hindutva fell into the last slot.
I did my best to explain to the young man that Hindutva was at least as dialectical or logical as any other thesis. He heard me but I doubt if he listened. He demanded the source of my contention; which book, what author and so on. Having been a research student, he had to have written