From: bond@jupiter.Sun.CSD.unb.ca (Girish)
Subject: Re: What Is Hindu Fundamentalism?
Status: OR
Apparently-To: uunet!alt-hindu@uunet.uu.net
Originator: editor@rbhatnagar
Organization: University of New Brunswick
Date: Fri, 1 Jan 1993 17:04:59 GMT
Return-Path: <@UNBMVS1.csd.unb.ca:bond@jupiter.sun.csd.unb.ca>


For a friend who can not post to this newsgroup:

 loca@netcom.com (John Hoag) writes:
>
>Every now and then, I read or hear the term "Hindu Fundamentalism".  I have
>no idea what it means.  As a Westerner who has a great admiration for the
>philosophies and mythologies of India, and a positive affection for its
>greatest religious works, I find the word 'fundamentalism' hard to imagine
>in the context of the word 'Hindu'.  Mahatma Ghandi, for example, is often
>said to have been shot by a "Hindu Fundamentalist".
>
>I can understand the word 'Hindu' as used in a purely ethnic, even political
>sense, but in that case 'fundamentalist' doesn't really apply. 
>
>Anyone have any ideas on this one?
>
>	- John Hoag
>


The term 'Hindu fundamentalist' is an invention of the news media in India 
which is dominated by socalled 'Socialists', who are really 'Communists'. 
These gentlemen have a pathological dislike and fear of Hindu philosophy. The 
reason behind this irrational fear is based on the realization that Hindu 
philosophy can make other philosophies like Communism irrelevant. I would 
like to give you a brief background. The term Hindu itself is a non-Hindu 
term. It is an Persian/Arabic word for the people of India. The invading 
Muslim hordes called the people of India 'the Hindus', and India was called 
'Hindustan', and their religious practices came to be known as 'Hinduism'.

However, in the modern sense 'Hinduism' can be described as the sumtotal of 
Indian civilization (like Roman, Egyptian etc). While the other great ancient 
civilizations perished due to natural or manmade causes, those of India and 
to some extent China and southeast Asia have survived to this day.

Hence, there is no religion called Hinduism in India but in popular parlance 
the religious philosophies within India are equated to Hinduism. In that 
sense both 'Buddhism' and 'Jainism' can be included in the common heritage of 
Hindu philosophy or the commonwealth of Hindu religions. Where as Buddhism 
outside India has attained a status of a different religion in the eyes of 
the world, for the Indian Hindu and many other Hindus such distinctions are 
unimportant. They only signify the rich variety of thought that the liberal 
Hindu mind encouraged. Hence, For a Hindu, religion is an individual affair 
between him and his God or no God. There are no prerequisites, no dogmas, no 
absolute truths. However, Hindus can have all of these attributes or none and 
still be Hindus. Realization of truth and the supreme force is a Hindu's 
final destination. In short, the following sums up Hinduism

lead me from darkness to light
lead me from untruth to truth
lead me from death to immortality

Hence, Hinduism is not like other religions, it is all inclusive. It has no 
prophets and preconditions. Hence, the term Hindu fundamentalist is wrong 
usage. No such thing exists. However, there are no absolute truths. Hinduism 
is linked with India due to historical reasons. Hence, nationalism and 
patriotism for India are sometimes confused with Hindu fundamentalism. Just 
because Hindus are liberal does not preclude them from being nationalistic or 
patriotic which are parochial feelings. Hindus are not perfect and they 
suffer from these feelings of patriotism for India. Hence, the person who 
killed Gandhi was an 'Indian nationalist' who concluded that Gandhi's passive 
philosophy in the face of extreme Islamic brutality would destroy India. This 
Indian nationalist was falsely termed Hindu fundamentalist by the biased 
media. Moreover, Gandhi was a great person however flawed his philosophy. The 
philosophy of non violence is central to Hinduism, but so is the philosophy 
of duty to one's family, one's society, one's country. Hence, violence with 
discipline is also central to Hindu philosophy. Injustice should be fought 
and not endured. Contemporary Hindu philosophers are divided about Gandhi's 
use and misuse of non violence.

These are just some thoughts of mine written hurriedly. I hope it is useful 
for you. Thank you.

Vijay Raghava.


Newsgroups: alt.hindu