Readers Response - Make India truly democratic and secular
Hindustan Times (11/07/99)
AFTER READING Archbishop Alan de Lastic's Guest Column ('Indians don't treat their guests like this', October 24), I find it shameful that we have organisations like the VHP and RSS in our country. They claim to act in the name of Dharma, but only denigrate India.
The Archbishop's conclusion - "I am very sad and ashamed. This is not the way Indians treat their guests" - should make us all Indians think. Such organisations should be controlled to make India a truly democratic and secular country. - Sachin Jain, Bhiwani
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***II
SHWETA WRITES that Ramakrishna Paramahansa, Swami Vivekananda, Raja Rammohun Roy and Mahatma Gandhi were true Hindus because they were cosmopolitan and worked for humanity ('Disturbing views', Sunday Letters, October 24). She only reveals her little knowledge of Hinduism. The other side of Hinduism has produced Shivaji, Guru Gobind Singh, Maharana Pratap, Banda Bahadur, Rani Laxmibai, Rani Padmini, Hakikat Rai, Prithviraj Chauhan, Hari Singh Nalwa, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Mangal Pandey and the like.
The combination of bhakti and shakti can be seen in our heroes: Swami Ramdas was Shivaji's guru, and Tegh Bahadur was Gobind Singh?s. Banda Bahadur was a saint. Hakikat Rai was inspired by the Gita. But Hindu leaders never misused their authority to misguide the followers of other religions. - VK Nagar, Delhi
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***III
WE ARE proud that we in India enjoy religious freedom, and wholeheartedly welcome Pope John Paul II.
Archbishop de Lastic is correct in saying, "We should try to see the positive side of smaller religions rather than harp on the negative aspect all the time." His observations - "The religious tolerance in India is God's gift" and "India's diversity is like a beautiful garden with different flowers" - gladdened me.
It is very dangerous when one religion attacks another. The Pope is our honoured guest, and we must uphold our image of good hosts. - Onkar Chopra, Abohar
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***IV
THE ARCHBISHOP says he cannot understand why the RSS and VHP object to conversions. But I cannot understand why the church, if it genuinely wants to contribute to the nation's development and uplift of tribals, cannot do so without resorting to conversions.
If conversions continue, then "God's gift to India" of religious tolerance will turn into a curse. - Shipika Purbey, Bhagalpur
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***Unfounded fears
THE FEARS that HRD minister MM Joshi will "saffronise" Indian history are unfounded ('History in the making' by Akshaya Mukul, Issues, October 24).
In the educational system bequeathed by Macaulay, Indian history begins with the Aryan invasion of India about 1500 BC - the conjectured date for the creation of the Rig Veda. Events before that were treated as myths.
Even then, scholars like Goldstick, Haugh, HH Wilson, WD Whitney and Winternitz put the Rig Veda's creation at around 4500 BC. Later, even Max Muller accepted a greater antiquity for it.
Why then is the British theory of an Aryan invasion still thrust on our children? The Aryans were original inhabitants of Bharat and not invaders. -
KS Vashisth, Jaipur
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