Wednesday, May 21, 2008

DEMOCRATIC SPIRIT

In a democracy,respect for the opinions and the viewpoints of others is paramount.The laws are the boundaries within which the game has to be played.Sections which are worried about the loss of their culture or heritage have all rights to associate and rally their supporters.The government is not involved in trampling over any particular ideology or culture.If one group believes that its culture and heritage are the oldest and hence a predominance and a pride of place have to be given to its culture,it is a spanner in the works in the making.The group has all rights to engage in an attempt to prevent its culture from withering.If the group is not able to achieve its objectives,the culture starts withering away.It is a loss of the leadership of the culture.If this loss is attempted to be explained away by portraying other cultures as villains,the end of democracy is in sight.
Looking at our massive democracy,the diversities are extraordinary.The predominant culture was felt to be losing to other religions which are supposed to receive funding from abroad.The people coming under the scheduled caste and scheduled tribe labels were felt to be targeted by other religions.The normal response should have been an attempt to remove the feeling from the minds of the people of these communities that they were not a part of the mainstream.The feeling that conversion to these religions would result in an easy identification with the mainstream should have been addressed.These communities should have been made to feel a part of the mainstream.In the absence of initiatives of the religious leaders,the government embarked upon action to address their lack of representation.Instead of building upon this,the brahmins have been making attempts to inculcate their mode of religion upon these people and develop an artificial similarity.Social rejuvenation should have a positive outcome.
These are exactly similar to the attempts of the other religions that are trying to convert.
The initiative should involve the participation of every caste and class.The initiative should come from an organisation which has the trust of every caste and class.The initiative should go into every aspect of the religious practices of every caste and class.saivism and vaishnavism can be seen to be the beginning and the end points of such an endeavour.The present attempt to turn an unease with the muslim legacy into a hatred of the muslims and thus attempt a consolidation of the so called hinduism are not bound to last.It all comes down to the brahmins stepping down from their artificially created pedestals and broadbasing hinduism.Alternatively,the brahmins can turn themselves into a minority and can claim all the privileges that are due to a minority.
The achievements and the contributions of vast numbers of brahmin visionaries have been sidelined and the likes of savarkar are sought to be raised to iconic status.

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