Mohan Bhagwat: Types of Hindus
RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat needs to spell out the validity of his classification of Hindus with the caste system in mind
Mohan Bhagwat, the RSS Chief, does all acrobatics to defend the idea of Hindu Rashtra. Many a times he goes on to say that all people living here are Hindus, we share common ancestry etc.
Earlier, the RSS ideologues had given the signals that Islam and Christianity are foreign religions. The progenitor of Hindu Nationalism, V. D Savarkar, gave a definition of Hindu as one who regards the land from Sindhu to Sea as Holy land and Father land. The second Sarsanghchalak M. S Golwalkar tells that for making Hindu Rashtra we will follow the Germen model where so many Jews were put to torture and then in Gas Chambers to build a Germen nation. Lately, more polished version of this statement is being dished out by Bhagwat.
The RSS has also been saying that Hinduism is not a religion but a way of life, defying the sociological understanding of religion where Holy Deity, Rituals, Holy books, Clergy are the major components of a religion.
Recently, he came up with a unique classification of Hindus, trying to assuage the deep feeling of marginalisation of Muslims and Christians. Giving a very lofty meaning of Hinduism, he stated that “If you are an Indian, this nature (Hindu, added) is inherent in you."
Underlining that Muslims and Christians are an inseparable part of the Hindu nation, he went on to outline four broad categories of Hindus in the country.
- The first group, he said, consists of those who openly declare their Hindu identity with pride.
- The second includes people who acknowledge being Hindu but see nothing exceptional about it.
- The third category, according to Bhagwat, comprises those who prefer to speak about their identity only in private.
- The fourth, he said, includes people who have either forgotten their Hindu identity or have been made to forget it.”
So, who is a proud Hindu?
So, who is a proud Hindu according to Bhagwat, those who demolished Babri Mosque?
Those who dance and give abusive slogans in front of mosques?
Those who like Kanwarias, create ruckus on the street?
Bhagwat did not clarify, but one will have to make a guess about it.
Babasaheb Ambedkar was born in a Hindu family and he went on to burn Manu Smriti and also declare that he was born in a Hindu family, but he will not die a Hindu. Where will the supremo of RSS put him?
Where will he put the Indian Constitution coming from a ‘Good Hindu’ or what? His organization had opposed the constitution saying that it is based on Western values and that there is nothing Indian about it.
The RSS Dilemma
The current dilemma of the RSS is to win over Muslims, Christinas, Dalits and Adivasis to its fold, and hence new acrobatics of talking in decent terms about Christians and Muslims. Defining Hinduism, as such, is a difficult task for sure. The reasons for this are multiple.
- One, Hinduism is not a prophet-based religion, it has no single founder.
- Two, religious streams developing in this part of the world have been lumped together as Hinduism
- Three, there are so many diversities in the practices of Hinduism that all streams cannot be painted with a single brush.
To this, one may add the practices and beliefs originating at different times continue to exist side by side. Hindu Lord Satyanarayana and Santoshi Maa do exist along with the concept of Ishwar (God) and a Nirankar Nirguna Ishwar (God beyond the attributes of qualities and form) at the same time.
The Imprint of Caste System
The major point of departure for Hinduism is the imprint of caste system on its major aspects, the religious sanctity for social inequality, caste system being the soul of its scriptures and practices.
Aryans who came in a series of migrations were pastorals and were polytheists. During the early period we see the coming into being of Vedas, which give a glimpse of the value system of that period and also the number of gods/goddesses with diverse portfolios, and the prevalence of polytheism. ‘Laws of Manu’ were the guiding principles of the society. This Vedic phase merged into the Brahminic phase. During this phase the elite of the society remained insulated from the all and sundry. At this point of time, the caste system provided a perfect mechanism for this insulation of the elite.
Buddhism’s challenge to the caste system forced Brahmanism to come up with a phase, which can be called Hinduism. During this, the cultic practices were broadened and public ceremonies and rituals were devised to influence the broad masses to wean them away from Buddhism.
Hindu Origin
It is interesting to note that till the 8th century the so-called Hindu texts do not have the word Hindu itself. This word came into being with the West Asian Muslims coming to this side. They called the people living on this side of Sindhu as Hindus. The word Hindu began as a geographical category. It was later that religions developing in this part started being called as Hindu religions. The victims of the caste system made all the efforts to convert to other religions, Buddhism, Islam and partly Christianity and later to Sikhism.
Within Hindu religion two streams ran parallel, Brahmanism and Shramanism. Shramans defied the Brahminical control and rejected the caste system. While Brahminism remained dominant, other streams of Hinduism also prevailed, Tantra, Bhakti, Shaiva, Siddhanta etc. Shramans did not conform to the Vedic norms and values. Brahminism categorized religious practices by caste while Shramanism rejected caste distinctions. Brahminical Hinduism was the most dominant tendency as it was associated with rulers. Side tracking the Hindu traditions of lower castes, Brahminism came to be recognised as Hinduism in due course of time. This phenomenon began with the Magadh-Mauryan Empire after subjugating Buddhism and Jainism in particular.
Later with the coming of the British who were trying to understand the Indian society, Hindu identity, based on Brahminical norms was constructed for all non-Muslims and non-Christians. Vedas and other Brahminical texts were projected as the Hindu texts. Thus, the diversity of Hinduism was put under the carpet and Brahminism came to be recognised as Hinduism. So, Hinduism as understood as a religion, is based on Brahminical rituals, texts and authority of Brahmins.
Mr. Bhagwat needs to spell out the validity of his classification with the caste system in mind. So within this elaborate Hinduism how these four categories will be articulated is the question?
[The writer, Ram Puniyani, is former Professor of IIT Bombay, and Author of hundreds of articles and dozens of books.]
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