Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri, who has recently come up with his new movie “The Kashmir Files” recently delivered a lecture at the Harvard Club of Boston, where he weighed in on the philosophical concepts that evolved from Kashmir and how those concepts were undermined by intellectual terrorists pretending to be championing the cause of human rights and humanity.
“There are two types of soldiers—those who wield weapons and are stationed on borders, protecting the sovereignty of the country against the external threats, which in the modern context are terrorists, irrespective of where they come from,” Agnihotri expounded.
He, however, added that one does not need to be a soldier to protect his/her country. “With your voice, with your talent, with your skill….you can be creative warriors and pay back to this great motherland. The biggest threat to this world, however, is from intellectual terrorists.”
Vivek Agnihotri also explained how over the years Hindus have been victims of villainised in the West. “Back in the 1980s when I studied here, I always felt there was something lacking. We were not Boston Brahmins. We were not Harvard Pundits. India was often mistaken for Italy…Indians were considered as poor, they were regarded as belonging to a country of snake charmers,” he said. But he also added that his Hindu identity was a big advantage to him as it led to his batchmates placing implicit trust in him.
“It was because of my Hindu identity, my batchmates thought I was trustworthy. There was a unanimous understanding that Hindus are people who can be trusted. They thought we are liberal people, they thought we are inclusive people,” Mr Agnihotri said.
But he was anguished to find that over the years, that positive image of being Hindu has steadily been eroded. “It pains me to tell you now that I come here after decades, I find all my nephews, nieces, all other people at various campuses, Oxford, Cambridge and others being embarrassed of being Hindus. Children born to Hindu parents here are embarrassed that they are Hindus,” he said.
Vivek then went on to explain why he decided to make ‘The Kashmir Files’ movie and how his aim is to show the world that the concept of humanity is the gift of the Hindu civilisation.
“Where did the concept of humanity come from? Which was the civilisation that gave the concept of humanity to the world? It was India’s Hindu civilisation,” Vivek exclaimed.
The force of oneness
Agnihotri, who also authored a book called ‘Urban Naxals’ to expose intellectuals that are involved in promoting anti-India activities, said India also endowed the world with the concept of oneness. He then goes on to assert how Lord Shiva is the embodiment of this oneness.
“I am sure you know Lord Shiva. Shiva’s dance has been recognised by all Nobel prize-winning physicists. Shiva is also known for his cosmic dance Tandav. All Kashmiris know Shiva’s cosmic dance means the oneness of the world. The smallest particle has the same energy as the whole cosmos, and therefore we are one,” Vivek elaborates.
He proceeds, “ Shiva is the only icon in the world who has a third eye. No one else has it. There are two types of people—left-brained and right-brained. When the left and the right brain converge, one’s third eye opens and this is nothing but the eye of humanity. This entire concept of oneness, of equality comes from the land where I come from—from the land of Kashmir.”
According to Vivek, India’s philosophy can be summed up in one sentence and that is: Moving from ignorance to knowledge.
Millions of ways to reach the truth
Extolling India’s culture and diversity, Vivek said the truth is one but there are thousands, perhaps millions of ways to reach it. Every individual, he added, is entitled to pursue truth in the way he deems appropriate. This is what, he contended, is the Indian culture and philosophy that instead of “tolerating” diverse ideologies considers them as “cosmic acceptance”.
This Indian philosophy had its roots in Kashmir, Vivek insisted. “Lord Shiva, Saraswati, Adi Shankaracharya and other great men and women fleshed out this spirituality….let me tell you something that even Indians don’t know—all these concepts of humanity evolved in Kashmir. That’s why Kashmir is so important for peace, for unity and global brotherhood.”
“There is no diversity in Kashmir. Champions of human rights are guilty of this destruction”: Vivek Agnihotri
Vivek also highlighted how Kashmir has been destroyed by people who sermonise Indians on peace and harmony but are responsible for fuelling wars and conflicts in other places. He also lambasted the champions of human rights, freedom and liberty, stating that they are responsible for the current predicament of Kashmir.
“What is after all being liberal? What is after all being secular? What is after all being progressive? What is humanity?… I want you to close your eyes and ask yourself these questions. People have destroyed the diversity of the state, forced Kashmiri Pandits out, assaulted the beauty, music is proscribed. But the champions of humanity, human rights, peace don’t speak a word against them. That’s why we decided to make this movie and show the truth to the world.”