From: alok@cbnewsi.cb.att.com (alok.vijayvargia)
Subject: Re: To be or not to be - ashamed
Organization: AT&T
Distribution: na
Date: Mon, 28 Dec 1992 19:01:30 GMT

In article <BzL5nx.JB6@ns1.nodak.edu>, sivaram@plains.NoDak.edu (The Purple Bleeder ) writes:
> Excellent reply Alok.
> I agree with the points in ur post.

I appreciate your support, however ...

> Why should Hindus be ashamed of their religion if   
> some vandals had pulled down the disputed structure.
> And what has Hinduism got to do with this.
> 
> Sivaram Hariharan

Hindus are ashamed because these people did it in name of Hinduism.
Even though it was merely a destruction of an old unused building with
religious connotations, it was a serious blow to the Hindu principles of 
tolerance, patience and perseverence considering the publicity which 
prevailed before it.  Publicity was such that an unaware reader would
think as if Hinduism was on trial and not Babar.

If they had done it in name of history citing atrocities of Babar 
in destroying the Hindu temples and building mosques on top of them,
things may not have been as disastrous.

On a different note ...

It appears that Hinduism is going thru a change in the Hindi belt - a more 
assertive, a more radical aggressive form of Hinduism is emerging.
As far as I can see, it is a reaction to the increasing fundamentalism
in the neighboring countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iran etc. 
Rise of fundamentalism in these countries, their covert support to the 
fundamentalist forces in India (Kashmir, Punjab, etc.), subsequent rise in 
fundamentalism in India among the Sikh and Muslim communities etc., has
pushed even moderate Hindus towards a more assertive and agressive form of 
Hinduism. This combined with Indian government's policies of appeasing 
Muslims for the sake of votes and holding power, relative neglect of issues
like uniform civil code, article 370, Hindu plight in Kashmir, harassment
of Hindu minorities in Islamic countries including Pakistan, Bangladesh, 
Suadi Arabia, Iran etc, not to mention the Indian and other leftists' 
propaganda in western countries against Hindus and subsequent rise of 
harassment of Hindus in western countries including Americas has pushed
the tolerant, patient, self-critical, Hindu of yester-years into a more 
assertive, radical, agressive form of Hinduism.

What we witnessed in Ayodhya is a culmination of that frustration on
part of Hindus around the world and especially in India where they are 
a majority.

No matter how much the frustration, prudent leaders would have prefered 
a negotiated solution by means of dialogue and sharing - in the spirit of 
give and take.

Better police protection of Muslim neighborhoods in lieu of the move of
the BM to another site could have been one such give and take solution.
Government and courts should have taken a lead in resolving this crisis.
Unfortunately the present as well as the past governments failed in
this. Courts have also been negligent and inefficient. Frustration of
masses has increased. Not only the successive governments failed in taking 
initiative, they failed to be creative and resorted to the authoritatrian 
style tactics of the British era. It is understandable that the Indian 
government has invited Mr. Major, the British PM on the occasion of the 
Republic day of India in 1993. Brown Sahibs of the Indian government will 
be hosting the descendents of the White Sahibs of yester-years. 

Alok