3.
Enlightened Secularism and Common Heritage continues..

This void had therefore to be filled and the yearning of national identity required to be articulated for the masses.

It is my view that the real reason why secularism, as propounded by Nehru has floundered, is that it became an obstacle to the process called Sanskritization (from the word ‘Sanskriti’ or culture). Secularism as defined by Nehru froze the social order by either non- chalance or negative rebuke. It lacked the positive content of providing a process for assimilation, which is Sanskritization.

The Hindutva propounded by the RSS being the process of Sanskritization, has therefore attracted more the lower and deprived castes. In UP, the Yadavas, Kurmis and Lodhs, were the most enthusiastic adherents of Hindutva since it enabled Sanskritization through political empowerment.

Hence, Yadava leaders like Mulayam Singh, Kurmi leaders like Nitish Kumar and Lodh leaders like Kalyan Singh and Uma Bharati are feeling the heat of Hindutva and the pressure to conform. The RSS may be Brahmin-dominated at the leadership level, but its front organizations like the Bajrang Dal are mostly the Hindu proletariats.

Hence Sanskritization should be promoted by a call declaring the caste system as anti-Hindu. There is sufficient theological basis for such a call as Dr. M.V. Nadkarni has written (referred to above). He has made out a convincing case that birth-based caste system is actually against the tenets of Hindu religion.

Only such an approach can insulate the Indian mind from communal pollution and halt fascism. Indian culture needs modernization, but not westernization. We have to set religion to curb religious fanaticism in India.

Aggressive Left Secularism cannot do that because it is consistent only with an authoritarian Marxist state in which religion would be considered a subversive force. The religious fundamentalists are at the other extreme. They want that freedom of other religions be curbed, but that they themselves be given full liberty to interpret religion as they see it. This is possible only in a theocratic state.

to be continued....

( This account is maintained by Har Anand Publication)