We, The Hindus

First things first, the title of this post is inspired by News anchor Barkha Dutt's show "We the People". Despite all the allegations against her (which perhaps will never be proven but personally speaking, I am inclined to believe they are true), rightfully so I would give her credit for it. After reading @nationalizer post on Citizen Journos a thought struck me like a lightening on this icy morning. Sooner or later, this thought will strike more or less every Hindu. 

Until just yesterday, I believed KP's exodus from valley in the 90's was the only instance when either due to circumstances/shortcomings/

lack of preparedness/anticipation whatever you call it, Hindus retreated 4m what was their beloved home/motherland. Well, nationalizer's post says that was not the only incident of the its kind. Konkani's moving away from Goa due to incoming Portuguese was also one such case. Just then I was forced to sit back in think in retrospect. It made me realize that if we think carefully we, the Hindus have lately developed the mindset and psyche of a defeatist, always stepping back when the adversary pushes ever so lightly. And it is systemic which is tied to our culture, the culture of how way we raise our kids. Here is small list that I could compile based on my personal life experience and knowledge and I am sure many readers will have their own additions to it....

1) It all begins in the childhood during school days. Take a case of a 5th grader going to school being bullied by kid(s). What are the actions of his Hindu parents. a) Ask the kid to stay away from the bully. b) Try to get his/her class changed from "A" to "B" through special request. c) In extreme case, change the school of their kid. These hypothetical scenarios do play out in real life.

2) We grow up and some of us fall in love with the "wrong" person. One of the possible action is elopement.

3) Most of our neighbors were from the "old city" or the "walled city" area. This is the part where main bazars of the city are and were once 100 % occupied by Hindus. Slowly Muslims started to occupy some residential places thanks to progressive Hindus who started to sell their properties to them, breaking away from the norm/tradition. Although there is/was no apparent harm in living together in peace, slowly the existing residents started to move out to newly developed western part of the city.

4) Many well-educated Hindus from almost every state of India, riding high on their educational success took first available flight to USA(including myself). Though some of us would be genuinely interested in pursuing higher studies or have passion in fundamental research that would eventually help mankind, majority fall in the basket tagged "Let's run away from India". To put it out there, I am no exception to this. I was being pushed away from the corrupt and future-less India perceived then. Thanks to Congress rule, and prevailing pessimism about India's growth, many middle class families had sent away their kids. Again knowingly/unknowingly going away from the problem.

5) Here in USA, where we do all the due diligence before we buy our first house. Despite that, say for instance the public school that your kid goes to in your neighborhood is now ranked lower consecutively for 2 years OR the beautiful park near our house is going to be converted in to a commercial complex. What would be our next step ? Of course Sell Baby SELL!! Sell the house and look for better area,new house.Trying to fight back and keep the park? Oh, that's for the white residents of the subdivision !!!

6) Hindus remaining in Pakistan/Bangladesh have repeatedly requested asylum in India.

7) In recent(actually on-going) communal clashes between Hindu Rabha Community and Christian Garo community on Assam-Meghalaya border, Hindus ran away from their properties and later complained about their burnt down/vandalized houses/shops. Yes, I know that you do not know about this because because CON-gress hired paid TV media did not report. Here are some links. 

Careful thinking of all the above situations reveals only one thing. Lack of willingness to fight back the odds. Mahatma Gandhi once said something to the effect that one can fight strong body but it is impossible to fight a strong mind. Sadly we, the Hindus lack both.

Just how long will we, the Hindus would keep running away from our problems ? This "Run-away" marathon worked well so far for us. Left India to settle in other parts of the world to avoid fighting back. BUT WHAT NOW? As more and more nations curtail their immigration inflow, there is NO MORE place on this planet left for the Hindus to run away. Our only last remaining (and diligently avoided all this far) choice is to stand up and fight WHEREVER we are. Communities/states/nations can be better or worst based on our collective efforts. Will we ever realize that ? What will it take for us as a community to realize this?

This right or wrong over-thinking/analyzing Hindus/Hinduism motivated me to get up @ 3 am and pen down these thoughts. Full credits for this goes to my beloved state leader and Chief Minister Shri Narendra Modi. He once said "Dreams are not what you see when you sleep, dreams are those which don't let you sleep"...I have one such dream...Do you ?

Firmly in agreement with @nationalizer in that "I dream  to see all kashmiri pandits happily living  in their homeland Kashmir,at least two years before I die…!!!!"

Though I have NEVER been to a single RSS(Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) Shakha/presentation/function, I would like to conclude by para-phrasing one of their song lines...."हिंदू जागे तो विश्व जागे"

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