Calling it as one sees it is a burden that some bear. While it is often branded a virtue, for me, it has been a physiological reflex, often, much to my detriment. It is almost as if I am simply incapable of shutting up, even when shutting up would certainly have its rewards. One subject that I have, yet again, refused to shut up about and invited the anger of many fellow Hindus, is the merciless defanging of the Hindu community by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi.
I genuinely and truly believe that the bane of the Hindu community was internalising the lessons of misplaced Ahimsa, predominantly spoon-fed by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi – a man who was ‘christened’, quite literally, as a messiah. The internalised guilt inflicted on the community even when it wanted to defend itself crippled us for generations and to date, we pay the price for trading our right to survival for brotherhood – a sentiment that is delicately nursed by carefully inculcated delusions.
I have, of course, been conferred with several not-so-flattering titles for the views I hold on the issue. In fact, I have often had arguments with my colleague Rahul Roushan on the subject as well. While I believe MK Gandhi was the Hindu community’s undoing, Rahul seems to be far more forgiving. He has repeatedly asserted that he forgives MK Gandhi for his shenanigans because he was a practicing Hindu and was not Hinduphobic – like Nehru, for example. While I insist that MK Gandhi and the ideals he professed must be torn down and dethroned, Rahul believes that Hindus gain nothing by demonising Gandhi and is willing to let him have the throne along with others who perhaps deserve the pedestal.
I had just about moved on from MK Gandhi and started to shift my focus to Dr BR Ambedkar when I heard another ‘Gandhi’ trying the same tricks that MK Gandhi employed, only in a far more sinister manner.
Rahul Gandhi in the parliament said, “Modi ji said once that India has never attacked any other country. There is a reason for that. Because this country is a country of Ahimsa (non-violence), this country is not a country of fear. So all our great personalities spoke about Ahimsa, spoke about removing fear… daro mat, darao mat… and on the other hand, Shiv ji says daro mat, darao mat, shows the Abhay Mudra, talks about Ahimsa and buries his Trishul on the ground. And the people who call themselves Hindus talk about violence, hate and lies 24 hours. You are not a Hindu. In Hinduism, it is clearly mentioned that one should stand with the truth…”. After this, Rahul Gandhi randomly held out his hand to show the Abhay Mudra (essentially, claiming that it was the Congress hand symbol).
Now, we know this rant by Rahul Gandhi is insidious. We know it is sinister. But my reaction to Rahul Gandhi’s rant this time was far more circumspect. I found myself not dismissing him as a blithering fool, but instead, trying to put his speech in context – historical and contemporary.
For those who support PM Modi politically, their immediate reaction would be to say that Rahul Gandhi insulted the entire Hindu community by claiming that Hindus only talk about violence and hate. Of course, this is the simplest interpretation of what he said. I, however, believe there is more to it.
There are two specific components to what Rahul Gandhi said in the parliament. First, Hinduism’s core tenet is that of non-violence. The other is that Modi does not represent all Hindus – this he said after PM Modi made a rare intervention saying that Rahul Gandhi’s characterisation of all Hindus as a people who espouse violence is a serious matter.
Both these components were meant to specifically cater to disgruntled Modi supporters and the young voter – who is fed the “Sabarmati ke sant” delusion as a matter of state policy. As for the second component, I believe it is meant to specifically cater to the ‘disgruntled Hindu voter’ – a segment that has started to look beyond PM Modi for a resolution to Hindu issues. This disgruntled voter believes that the political support base has started hyphenating PM Modi and Hindu issues, often sacrificing the latter for the interest of the former. For both these segments, it is essential to see through the sinister, British-esque designs of Rahul Gandhi.
Ahimsa – a central tenet of Hinduism?
One of the first instances when Hindus were defanged by the British was with the passage of The Indian Arms Act 1878. Right after the revolt of 1857, the British, petrified of another armed resistance to their occupations, passed a law that barred Indians from carrying firearms without a license. The British understood that their best chance to continue their occupation of Bharat was through the de-arming and de-fanging of Hindus.
The de-arming and neutering of Hindus to ensure minimum resistance to their own subjugation became a template – followed not only by the British and MK Gandhi but continued to this day by the party created by the British – the Congress party.
Rahul Gandhi, quite confidently, spoke about Ahimsa being the central tenet of Sanatan Dharma – as if those who pick up weapons to defend themselves and/or the community are committing a cardinal sin. One can’t possibly blame him for his narrow view of Sanatan Dharma, given his Christian mother must have imparted the hollow punchlines that come with religious moral science lectures in Catholic schools as the gospel truth – at least theoretically, which is never followed by the faithful but prove as a great tool for religious brainwashing by inculcating a false sense of moral superiority. Sanatan Dharma has an illustrious history and the Kshatra tradition which revolves around the destruction of evil and is far from the neutered, comatose version of Hinduism that Congress wants to peddle for their own political gains.
One of the primary root words of Kshatra is ‘himsayam’ which relates to the Kshatra’s duty to destroy evil. The etymological explanation of the word Kshatra is, in itself, “one who protects from harm and injury”, the fundamental quality of the Kshatra being to protect Dharma and therefore, the Kshatra-guna itself is related to protection – by force – if necessary.
The pacifists, who follow the path shown by MK Gandhi, often feel squeamish because they believe the Kshatra-guna relates to the promotion of violence, however, that is, again, only a result of the historical brainwashing – a political project to knock Hindus down and keep them there so the pliable community can accept their own subjugation without putting up a fight.
It is, therefore, said that “without the element of protection, Matsya-Nyaya (big fish eat little fish) would prevail”. It is the eternal Sanatan wisdom that says that if there has to be order, there has to be punishment and only if there is punishment, will order emerge. Kamandakiya–Nitisara, in fact, opens with the praise of the King who holds the sceptre to mete out punishment to maintain order.
In the book Ksattra, the authors write, “Among the Vedas, the Rig-veda has been associated with Brahmanas, Yajur-veda with Kṣattriyas, and Sama-veda with Vaisyas. The Yajur-veda has been hailed as an action-oriented, ritual-intensive Veda; while Rig-veda is more aligned to prayer, Sama-veda is aligned to worship, and Atharva-veda forms a bridge between the physical and the spiritual.
Yajur-veda is a symbol of kṣättra, of the protection of the good, and of destruction of enemies. The upa-veda associated with Yajur-veda is Artha-Veda (or Dhanur-veda). While explaining a mantra, the commentator Mahīdāsa says, “Dhanur-veda (archery) is the science of war.”
Through the Dhanur-veda we see the entire system of war. Yajñas like Rajasuya, Sautramani, Vajapeya, and Aśva- medha that are described in the Yajur-veda are famous as kṣāttra-yajñas. The Vajapeya-Yaga is for preparing various units of the army in order to reclaim lost land. The Sautrāmani-Yaga is for bringing allies together. The Rajasuya-yaga is conducted when an emperor is born or created. The Aśva-medha is for expanding the kingdom and establishing sovereign status over a large portion of land. We see unbridled kṣättra in all these yajñas.
There are elements of kṣättra even in the traditional practices related to worship and invoking the Supreme. The unfortunate situation today is that a worship of cowardice has entered military science. We have infused our military with a narrow, ritualistic mindset, thus sapping bravery and energy. However, our Vedic rşis brought an element of kṣättra even in worship and ritual”.
It is, therefore, evident that Sanatan has a strong, illustrious tradition of Kshatra – where force and punishment are used to restore Dharma, protect the weak, and defend the ideals we hold dear. Nowhere in the Yajur-Veda, or any Veda, is Ahimsa in its bastardized, Gandhi version mentioned – it is only an illusion, a grand lie, sold to Hindus to ensure they remain guilty, neutered, and defenceless.
What betrays the Janeudhari version of himself which Rahul Gandhi projects, is his absolute infantile interpretation of Shiva. To allude that Mahadev buried his Trishul because he believed in Gandhi’s Ahimsa is not just infantile but asinine. Mahadev, is quite literally, the God of Destruction and anyone who is a practicing Hindu would certainly not propagate that he destroys with Ahimsa. The Shivlinga itself is a manifestation of Raudra. His Avatars, like Kaal Bhairav, represent the annihilation of time and preservation of the universe – a symbol of fearlessness, the guardian of Temples, the destroyer of enemies and evil spirits. Of course, there is spiritual symbolism of the Trishul which represents the Nadis, levels of consciousness, and more, however, Rahul Gandhi’s reductionist interpretation of Shiva and his Trishul to talk about some binary of Gandhi-esque pacifism is so outlandish that one has to wonder how someone so oblivious of Sanatan Dharma can even have the confidence to talk about the tenets of the faith.
In his supreme confidence, which is, unfortunately, the hallmark of the unlettered, Rahul Gandhi wanted to present Sanatan Dharma as some sort of a hippy cult where its participants are high on some form of hallucinogens, lying around in their comatose stupor, talking about universal peace. In reality, Sanatan has a long tradition of Akharas where community defence was one of the fulcrums of collective survival.
Yes, Sanatan Dharma guides every shade and stage of existence. From prosperity to happiness, satisfaction, love, peace – inner and community, punya, karma, moksha, and more – however – it does not look down upon self and community defence, it does not glamourise pacifism and cowardice – in fact – it draws lessons from wars fought for the preservation of Dharma and honour.
Non-violence: An age-old political project to keep Hindus neutered and subjugated
I believe the very existence of the Hindu community hinges on one simple question – Do we wish to emulate MK Gandhi or Gopal Patha – in the face of aggression and violence?
In 1946, the massacre of Hindus in Bengal was rather intricately planned. Jinnah is recalled having said that he would either have India divided or India burnt and that he had given up on Constitutional methods to demand the creation of Pakistan. Jinnah had chosen the 16th of August as Direction Action Day because it was the 18th day of Ramzan, the day when the Battle of Badr was fought and won – a war fought by Prophet Muhammad himself, against the Kaffirs, and is considered to be won by Allah’s divine intervention by Muslims. The battle led to the violent occupation of Mecca.
On the 16th of August, Calcutta was littered with posters lionizing Jinnah and reminding Muslims that they had to follow the footsteps of the Prophet. It is reported that Syed Muhammad Usman, mayor of Calcutta, had issued a widely circulated leaflet that said: Kafer! Toder dhongsher aar deri nei! Sarbik hotyakando ghotbei! (Infidels! Your end is not far away! You will be massacred!). The aim was to make Bengal ‘land of the pure’ and rid it of the Kaffirs (Hindus). The aim was to wage another Battle of Badr, in which the Muslims would conquer the heathens.
What followed on the 16th right after the Jumma Namaz is Muslims going on a rampage, beheading Hindus, chopping their limbs off, and raping Hindu women. Several women were taken as sex slaves by those who were fighting with the religious fervour of the Battle of Badr. In the Kesoram Cotton Mills at Lichubagan in the Muslim-dominated Metiabruz area, Muslim mobs entered and beheaded over 600 labourers. The Hindus, neutered and asked by Gandhi to die with a smile on their face hardly fought back. There was a mass exodus from Bengal that marked millions fleeing because the massacre seemed too brutal to fight against.
During the Direct Action Day, on the 17th of August after 2 days of Hindus being massacred, Gopal Chandra Mukhopadhyay rose like a phoenix. Gopal Patha (Patha means ‘lamb’. He was called so because he ran a mutton shop) had already founded the Bharat Jatiya Bahini, an organization of young men to help fellow citizens during a natural calamity. On the 17th, Gopal Patha turned from a philanthropist to a warrior, ready to defend his people. Throughout the night, Gopal Patha, along with his young men from the Bharat Jayati Bahini worked on a plan on how they could defend Hindus from the Muslim barbarians. The Marwaris offered finances, others spent the night making weapons for them.
Muslim League chief minister of Bengal, Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy, and the Muslim League goons had decided on the 17th that they were going to take two more days to complete the annihilation of Hindus. But they had not taken into consideration their greatest roadblock. Gopal Patha.
From the 18th to the 20th, Gopal Patha and his men put up a brave fight, paying the Muslim League goons back in equal measure, if not more. Historian Sandip Bandopadhyay wrote, “They faced resistance everywhere. Hindu youths counter-attacked with such ferocity that the Muslim League men had to flee. Many were killed. Emboldened by their success in taking on and defeating their Islamist attackers, Hindu youths took the fight to Muslim-majority areas and started killing Islamist men. They did not, however, touch Muslim women and children or the aged and the infirm”.
During the Noakhali riots, countless Hindus were raped and murdered. The converted Hindus were made to write declarations that they had accepted Islam out of their free will and Hindus in the 2000 square mile area were made to pay the Jaziya. When MK Gandhi visited Naokhali, he was rebuked by the Muslim League and after that, he travelled to Bihar to stop the retaliatory violence by the Hindus. There, he is famed to have said that Hindus must leave Noakhali or die – this, because the Muslim League had asked him to quell the violence, the same Muslim League that was raping Hindu women, beheading Hindu women, and waging a war against Kaffirs.
MK Gandhi famously asked Gopal Patha to lay his weapons down and surrender. Gopal Patha refused. He refused to give into Gandhi’s pacifism to appease the murderous Jihadis. He refused to give into the delusion that surrendering, being cowardly, and dying with a smile on his face was a virtue. Gopal Patha upheld the tenets of Sanatan Dharma – he preserved Dharma. He protected Dharma. He protected Hindus. He did not give up.
In fact, while MK Gandhi wanted Gopal Patha to lay down his weapons, in the same year in a prayer meeting, he advised the women in East Bengal to commit suicide by poison or some other means to avoid dishonour. He told the women to suffocate themselves or to bite their tongues to end their lives.
In 1921, while the Malabar Muslims were slaughtering Hindus, raping women and forcefully converting Hindus, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi insisted that they had committed a sin against the “Khilafat movement” and not the Hindus. In fact, he went ahead and insisted that Hindus must remain “non-violent” in the face of “extreme provocation”.
While Hindus and Sikhs were being massacred and raped in Pakistan right after the partition, MK Gandhi said, “Hindus and Sikhs should become brave and show that even if all the Hindus and Sikhs in Pakistan were to be killed there would be no retaliation in India. I do not want to live to see our people copy Pakistan. If I am to live I shall ask every Hindu and every Sikh not to touch a single Muslim. It is cowardice to kill Muslims and we must become brave and not cowards”.
On April 6, 1947, Mr. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi said– “If Muslims want to kill us (Hindus), we must face death bravely. Hindus should not harbour anger in their hearts against Muslims even if the latter wanted to destroy them. If they established their rule after killing Hindus we would be ushering in a new world by sacrificing our (Hindu) lives”.
There was, indeed, a running theme in what Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi told Hindus. He repeatedly told Hindus that their faith taught them to surrender to evil, murderous mobs who were raping, beheading, murdering, and dishonouring them. He repeatedly told Hindus that his pacifism was a manifestation of the very essence of Sanatan Dharma and if Hindus so much as dared to defend themselves, they would be going against the tenets of their faith.
MK Gandhi told Hindus that cowardice was in fact bravery and bravery was betrayal. He truly and genuinely wanted Hindus to believe that by being cowardly and surrendering to evil unquestioningly, Hindus would be doing the greatest service to this land with Hindu consciousness because that is what Hinduism stood for.
This glorification of cowardice as a virtue, only for Hindus, was diligently furthered as a political project. It was, and still is, accepted wisdom that as long as Hindus are kept under the spell of Ahimsa, the community would give up their bargaining power with the state. For the ultimate retention of political power, it is no secret that the most violent, the most demanding, and the most petulant community has to be kept in good humour. When they get offended, and go on a murderous rampage after Hindus respond with Rangeela Rasool to books insulting Hindus, they need to be kept in good humour by the passage of a special law. When they want to establish a Caliphate in Turkey, they need to be pacified with unquestioning surrender by the Hindu community, willing to be beheaded with a smile on their face.
Rahul Gandhi today did exactly what the political class has done for centuries – twist Sanatan Dharma to convince Hindus that their cowardice is considered a virtue and if they are TRUE Hindus, they would surrender, give in – and die with a smile on their face. It is this political project that leads to the demonisation of Hindutva, the vilification of Raudra Hanuman, the angst at Bhagwan Ram with a bow and arrow, the screaming, screeching uproar at the Ayodhya movement, the aversion to the Ram Temple, the anger at the demystification of history and the unadulterated hate against Hindu organizations – all of it remind Hindus that they are a warrior race, not a herd of sheep who should be led to their slaughter.
Ahimsa, essentially, is doing everything to stop Himsa. Ahimsa is not the absence of Himsa, but the use of Sam, Dam, Danda, and Bhed to achieve peace.
We could see Rahul Gandhi’s speech today in the parliament as just another Hinduphobic rant. Or we could see it for what it was – an attempt to keep the Hindu community ashamed and guilty. India has suffered the consequences of the apotheosis of one Gandhi – we certainly cannot afford another blunder.
