@DeepInThought4U

I am a citizen of India, living in India. I belong to neither the right wing nor the left wing. If anything, I am 'truth wing' - a concerned citizen of India who has woken up to the reality, especially in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attacks when tourists were killed just for being Hindus. 

Consider this: out of the nearly 200 countries of the world, guess how many have Hindus as the majority of the population? Three - finger-countable on one hand! (In case you are wondering, they are India, Nepal and Mauritius.) Soon, this figure is likely to be ZERO, the way things are going.

India is the sacred geography of Hinduism. It is our last refuge. There is no other place we can go to; nobody else will accept us if we lose India. Yet, we are indifferent and apathetic to our own plight, smugly confident that we are safe. We have ignored this issue due to various reasons such as 'turning a blind eye', pseudosecularism, and misplaced notions of tolerance and nonviolence.  

One thing has become abundantly clear more than before: Hindus were, are, and will be under attack from anti-Hindu forces. Here's a breakdown of this issue based on three questions: WHAT?, WHY? & HOW?

Read on, if you do not want Hindus to become third-class citizens of the world, persecuted and converted by militant religions...

Beheaded idol in the Belur temple complex (picture by author)

🛕WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?

🚩Subversive immigration and demographic change 

The recent fallout of India's war on terror revealed who stands with us not just among the nations of the world, but also within the country. Surreptitious illegal immigration from Islamic countries around us aided by pseudoseculars and leftists has burst out into the open resulting in the anti-India, anti-Modi, anti-Hindu views. There are those that help these illegal immigrants get local ID cards and even voting rights. 

🚩Criminal activities by foreigners

If you monitor the crime news in India, you will find that non-Hindus are over represented in criminal activities relative to their population level. On the other hand, if you look at the academic and economic achievements, Hindus are over represented. In other words, nothing has changed since the days of Abrahamic subjugation of our culture and plundering of our wealth. Hindus who focus on socioeconomic progress are being cheated and looted by non-Hindus, be it through criminal activities, conversions, reservations, Waqf, etc.

🚩Conversions are still going on

Of the three Abrahamic religions (Jewism, Christianity and Islam - in order of appearance), the latter two are the most problematic for Hindus. It is in the nature of these two religions to convert. Whether it is a misplaced notion of 'saving souls' or just increasing their numbers, it is ingrained in them as a sacred duty to convert as many 'heathens' as possible. In spite of the check on foreign contributions, surreptitious conversion programs continue unabated, especially in areas such as the Punjab, Odisha and East Godavari.

🚩CON-gress has not done anything to protect Hindu interests

Ram Mandir would not have been feasible under the dynastic party govt - the 'jan-nalayak' himself has said so. None of the other temples would have got a facelift. CON-gress and its allies are only concerned with one thing: passing on the prime minister's position from one family member to another like a family heirloom. This is done by appeasing minorities at the cost of Hindu interests. Take the recently concluded Mahakumbh Mela and think how many CON-gress leaders took part in it, or wished Hindus on the occasion. You will find that the number is close to nil. 

🛕WHY IS IT HAPPENING?

🚩Partition was the greatest fraud on India and Hinduism

India was expected to be a secular democratic state while our neighbours could select the theocracy of their choice. More Muslims stayed back in India than the populations of the 2 Islamic republics at that time. They continue to enter India in hordes illegally. After Pahalgam, when deportation orders finally came through, it led to the discovery of many women who have married Pakistani men, had their children and are living here in India! While the pseudoseculars will cry hoarse and say this is a shining example of the failure of Jinnah's 2 nation theory, what was the point of it anyway? If their countries were created mainly for followers of their religion, why are they coming to the land of the 'kafirs'? They are either here to drain the nation's resources or subversively alter the nation's demographics by reproducing rapidly.

🚩Worst geopolitical location for India 

Unfortunately, India is surrounded by hostile neighbours inimical to our socioeconomic and demographic security. Each of these has some grouse to pick with India. Ironically their illegal immigrants live here whereas people in their countries abuse us. Their sympathisers live amongst us, like snakes in the grass, living off our largesse while supporting them. A case in point, when the Indus water was stopped, these very snakes came out into the open to protest. We cannot expect any other country to stand for us - they mostly think of themselves. Otherwise, Pakistan would not have received billions of dollars in aid in spite of being the epicentre of terrorism. India has borne the brunt of this terrorism since long before 9/11, but still, when provoked, the other countries expect us to 'exercise restraint'. And when we retaliate, urban naxals within the country exhort us to 'de-escalate'. 

🚩Hinduism v other religions 

Don't let anyone tell you 'all religions are the same'. They are not! There is a chalk and cheese difference between Hinduism and Abrahamic religions. Hinduism developed as a fellowship of many different truth-seekers who did intense sadhana to give us the wisdom contained in the Vedas. It is philosophically diverse and calls for self inquiry and self experience of the Eternal Truth. Abrahamic religions began when their prophets apparently had visions and revelations of a 'zealous god'. These and other dictums were recorded in prescriptive books that a follower has to strictly adhere to without questioning. The ultimate goal in Hinduism is moksha - liberation from the cycle of birth and death, the highest state a human soul can achieve. The ultimate goal in Abrahamic religions is salvation on judgment day; if you are a believer you will be saved, otherwise you will burn in hellfire forever! Hinduism is a way of life that facilitates self-realisation and accepts different paths to the same goal. Abrahamic religions are cults and subcults that claim exclusive rights to salvation and employ coercive, incentive and manipulative methods to convert others.

🚩'Abrahamification' of India is the ultimate goal

They can call it being secular, 'upholding the Constitution', allege wrongdoing by the BJP government so they can oppose every good scheme, but the ultimate driving force behind any of these is only one thing: the underlying ANTI-HINDU BIAS. And this bias compels them to attack Hinduism and get away with it since they know there won't be any retaliation. This bias compels them to use any means to convert: love jihad, advertising religions on leaflets, fake healing sessions, etc. 'Ghazwa-e-Hind' and 'church planting' are  ultimately geared towards the total conversion of India to their respective religions. 

🚩Colonial hangover

The Islamic invasions resulted in temple destructions, unfair taxation and conversions. The British tried their best to convert us by giving a free hand to missionaries. The whole of the northeast is Christian today because of their efforts. The Portuguese initiated the Goan Inquisition to convert the population in the western coast, and the Dutch did the same on the eastern side. Macaulayian education system aimed to create 'brown sahibs' - Indian in appearance, but entirely European in language and cultural practices. Even today, our children continue to study in convent-run schools and colleges where Sanskrit is not even offered as an optional subject. Even today, there are missionary hospitals ostensibly working to treat the poor, but simultaneously employing their 'pastoral care' practitioners who go around wards doing bedside prayer sessions and 'ministering' to patients and their families. 

As if these were not enough, the entire entertainment industry, notably Bollywood, was flooded with Pakistanis in its early period when scripts were written in Urdu! Even today, Bollywood song lyrics are mostly Urdu-based, and you will struggle to find a decent song in Hindi, let alone Sanskrit. 

The result of all this: children who are western and pseudosecular in their outlook. Gullible patients and their families who think they got better due to the missionaries' prayers and accept conversion. Bollywood celebrities who do not utter a word against Pakistan even when they send terrorists to kill our tourists and soldiers. 

🛕HOW CAN YOU & I HELP?

🚩Target the ideology

Hinduism does not advocate the notion of 'othering' or unwarranted violence against anyone, but if our very identity is under threat, rising up to defend it is our dharma. It is important to remember that our battle is against ideologies, not individuals. The radical thought process entrenched in their minds is the driving force behind conversions and terrorist attacks. Attempt to address this rather than express hatred towards any one person or community. 

🚩Assist the government and armed forces 

The very least you can do is support those who are striving to keep you safe. This includes the government when it takes affirmative action against terrorists, the soldiers who defend us in tough conditions, gutsy intellectuals who confront radical ideologies, all at the cost of personal comfort and safety. If you cannot be proactive, at least do not create barriers in the way of those who are.

🚩Call for deporting illegal immigrants

If you can identify illegal immigrants and foreigners who indulge in criminal activities in your locality report them to the police or your MP. Try to identify the nexus of dodgy agents who get them Indian ID cards and report them.

🚩Be united!

Beware that the Abrahamics target the faultlines of societies they seek to convert. Avoid fighting with fellow Hindus over petty language, caste or cultural issues. 

🚩Educate your children on Sanatana Dharma

When was the last time you sat with your children and explained to them about the greatness and beauty of Sanatana Dharma? If you are unable to do this, find out about classes that can supplement their school education with dharmic knowledge. Shloka classes are a good way to begin. Enroll them in schools affiliated to Sanatana Dharma, or at the very least, those that offer Sanskrit as a language to learn. Try to find out more about your own religion so you can teach them. 

🚩Learn basic self defence 

It may well come to this, whether you like it or not. It is better to be prepared for a breakout of violence given the radical, volatile and militant nature of people who live with us in our communities. 

🚩Help in whatever capacity you can

If you know about the dangers to Hinduism, spread the word. Educate others who are ignorant about these issues. If you are the enterprising kind, initiate action against pseudoseculars who denigrate Hinduism thinking they can get away with it. If you are a lawyer, set aside some time to represent the cause of Sanatana Dharma.

🚩Exercise your franchise wisely

NEVER EVER vote for CON-gress or its allies. They are pseudoseculars and, frankly, anti-Hindu, because they are pro- every other religion than Hinduism. I am not suggesting that BJP is the most perfect party, but as of now there is no other party that is as sympathetic to the cause of Hinduism as the BJP. It would be utterly foolish of us and even dangerous to vote out a PM who has been working tirelessly, day and night, for the welfare of India and Hinduism, all the while facing opposition from anti-India forces.

🚩Join forces with pioneers

If you aren't familiar with the works of Rajiv Malhotra, J Sai Deepak, Anand Ranganathan and Dr David Frawley, to name a few, do so immediately. There are many books written by them on these issues that you can read. Contribute to their cause and add to the discussions already taking place. 

Finally, don't just forward this article; act on it!  As Lord Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita, taking appropriate action at the right time is the only thing that is in your hands; so do something before it's too late!

🕉️Uttishtha Bharata!🐚 🐚Dharmo rakshati rakshitah!☸️ 

🔱Har Har Mahadev!🔱Jai Mata Bhavani!🔱Jai Bajrangabali!🔱

Hinduism is the most ancient religion in the world that has survived an onslaught of colonial subjugation, bigoted misinterpretation, and evangelical conversion attempts.  

Recently, I have encountered quite a few social media posts about Hinduism, mocking the gods/goddesses, and its religious practices.  Here is a couple from X:

Typically, the people who post these messages have a rudimentary understanding of the religion, and often have ulterior motives of the religio-political kind and the western anti-immigration rant (as above) that compels them to dig up random images or one-sided articles to support their theory of how bad the religion is.  

While Hinduism itself is not dependent on validation from any quarters as it is a self-evident, self-sufficient, and self-sustaining code of life, I still thought I should address the mind-numbing ignorance evident in such posts.  

I shall attempt to present fact-based findings from my own study of Hinduism with the hope that the first kind would find it informative and helpful in broadening their horizons, and the second would at least tone down the rhetoric, although, I suspect it is a tall order.

I am not doing this just because I need to rise to the defence of the religion I was born into.  On the contrary, I had been ignorant myself of the deeper aspects of Hindu customs and culture, thanks to the Macaulayian education system that I studied in.  I realised I needed to find out more about all religions, and undertook a comparative study of the major faiths of the world.  Through this, I have come to appreciate the beauty inherent in Hinduism vis-a-vis other religions. 

Here's a list of accusations against Hinduism that I have encountered in the social media messages.  I shall attempt to address each of them based on the observations and inferences from my own deep-dive into the tenets of Hinduism.

Hinduism is caste-based: 

Since every bigot worth his salt will rake up this issue in his rant against Hinduism, I thought I should address this first.  The caste identity was originally based on the individual vocation rather than the accident of birth.  None of the Hindu scriptures advocates discrimination based on caste; both of these - postnatal caste determination and caste-based discrimination - are later, unfortunate developments.  

The hierarchy was never meant to be rigid and the identity was always meant to be fluid, with members moving from one level to another, depending on their natural disposition and vocation.  In modern-day India, caste-based discrimination is largely confined to the smaller towns and villages.  It does not help matters that the caste-based reservation system has been institutionalized by the country's Constitution, which only serves to strengthen these divisions.   

Besides, people who throw the caste brick at us should realise that divisions are part of their own religions.  Consider these:  

You get the picture?  Adherents of these sects are often at loggerheads with each other; if God is one why do their religions have so many sects?  Not to justify divisions in society, but know it to be the nature of man to divide himself into smaller and smaller groups based on characters such as race, nationality, culture and religion - this is a universal problem, not confined to Hinduism alone. 

There are so many Hindu gods!

Yes there are; said to be about 33 crore in all (i.e., 330 million!).  But the primary underlying god is one: Brahman (or the Universal Consciousness, or the Unifying Energy).  Hinduism believes in the concept of ishtadevata (one's chosen god), which is one aspect of this unifying energy that appeals to the disposition of the worshipper.  Many families have kuladevatas (clan gods) and many villages have gramadevatas (village gods).  Even natural phenomena such as weather-related events or diseases have personified god elements.  

This might sound confusing to an uninitiated mind, but the basic principle is this: Brahman is one, but its manifestations are many.  Just look around you; the world is teeming with lifeforms of all kinds.  There are hundreds of varieties of any given species of flora or fauna.  Even among humans there are multiple races and ethnicities.  When there is so much diversity in our tiny little world, which is but a speck in the infinite cosmos, why not among gods?  Why can't the infinite energy multiply itself into smaller energies with specific attributes or functions? 

Hindus may worship many gods in many temples, but the basic underlying principle is the same.  It is this principle (the higher Self) that the atma (soul or the lower self) of a Hindu aims to merge into eventually, thus escaping the karmic cycle of life and birth.  This merger is called moksha (also called nirvana, kaivalya, nirvikalpa samadhi, the turiya state, or god-realisation).  This is possible only when one gives up attachment to the phenomenal world, and negates the ego or the lower self through sustained spiritual practices such as meditation.  

Since this is a difficult standard for an average person to aspire to, one can focus on the ishtadevata while one purifies the mind.  Therefore, the gods function as markers for seekers to focus on, or signposts while traversing the difficult path towards self-annihilation leading to moksha.  This is the path of bhakti (intense emotional devotion): the idea is to move from the formed manifestation of god to the formless Brahman.  

Hindu gods look grotesque: 

Yes, the anthropomorphised forms of our gods do appear distinct from you and I.  Some have many hands, many faces, blue/dark complexion, elephant/monkey face, etc.  They are usually accompanied by a variety of natural elements and beings: lotuses, trees, banana leaves, fruits, elephants, bulls, tigers, lions, mice, and even dogs.  Like I said, Hinduism does not discriminate against any life form for 'being dirty;' everything fits into the larger scheme of things.  

Some chief examples of our gods are:

Each deity may have several avataras (yes, the term existed long before the eponymous sci-fi film came along).  Narayana Himself manifests as Dashavatara (10 avataras): fish, tortoise, boar, man-lion, dwarf, axe-warrior, Rama, Krishna, Buddha & Kalki (yet to manifest), depending on the yugas (epochs) and their dharmic requirements.

Again, it is to do with how the gods have been conceptualised by various seekers over the millennia.  Scriptural descriptions of the physical aspects of these deities also exist, based on which, artists have imagined how the gods might have appeared to their bhaktas.  The foremost among these artists is Raja Ravi Varma, a 19th century painter of royal lineage whose lithographs of gods/goddesses adorn our pooja rooms (shrines) to this day.  Ultimately, they are the saguna (formed with physical features) manifestations of the nirguna (formless Brahman) entity. 

The contentious image in the tweets above, that of Kali - the fierce avatara of Goddess Parvathi - carries its own significance of victory of good over evil.  She manifested to kill the demons (hence the garland of skulls) and Her fervour had to be assuaged by a sleeping Shiva who She stepped on, realised Her error, and calmed down. It is through Her divine grace that the 5th century Sanskrit poet, Kalidasa achieved a state of wisdom (hence his name; 'servant of Kali'), and more recently, the 19th century Saint of Dakshineshwar, Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa, was blessed with the divine vision of his beloved Ma Kali.  

Indeed, every feature of the physical representation of all the deities has its own relevance.  Just because they appear kitsch does not mean that they are creations of a fanciful imagination, as the tweet above suggests.  It is a bit rich coming from a culture that peddles to its children the notion that a bearded, potbellied, old man in a red suit slides down the chimney in the night to leave them presents!

Further reading: 

• For a quick lowdown, read Devdutt Pattanaik's 7 Secrets from Hindu Calendar Art

Hindus are idolators and object-worshippers: 

What is your problem exactly with idols?  Just because it is mentioned in your scriptures that the believers should not worship Egyptian statues, you seem to have developed a deep aversion to them.  When you put up your religious symbols and sculptures of messiahs and saints, aren't they idols?  Then why single out Hinduism?

Pictures, statues and idols are the saguna (formed) representation of the one nirguna (formless) Brahman.  They are focal points for seekers to look at and concentrate their positive thoughts and prayers on.  In certain places, the origin of these images is considered to be esoteric or swayambhu (self-generated).  In such and other significant tirthsthalas (places of pilgrimage), the spiritual energy level is significantly elevated.  Combine this with certain auspicious moments, and you have a potent combination of place and time that is seeped in spiritual energy for all to benefit from - the Kumbh Mela (that's happening now, as I write this) is one such occasion.  

Temple garbhagudis (sancta sanctorum) and even pooja rooms (shrines) in homes are so repeatedly consecrated with the sound of mantras and bells, the aura of incense and aarti (fire of veneration), and the offering of fruits and naivedya (consecrated food), that they emanate divine energy that the worshippers can absorb by doing pradakshine (circumambulating the deity).  Hence the need for images and idols kept in temples and shrines.  

Since scientific studies are now confirming that everything in the universe is some form of energy, we believe this to be true about objects as well.  The equipment of war, the tools of building, the books of learning, and the gadgets of communication are all worthy of veneration.  In fact, they have special days of their own every year: Ayudha Pooja (for weapons & instruments) and Saraswati Pooja (for books and learning materials) during the Navaratri period.  

Sceptics among you should understand that the human body is made of the same materials and energies found in the universe; the panchamahabhutas (the 5 natural elements - air, water, fire, earth and ether).  The only difference between living and nonliving entities is the presence of sentience and consciousness in the former, but at the atomic level, they are all the same.  

Hindu religious practices are based in superstitions: 

What appears to be a superstition for an external person is actually rooted in some kind of logic or scientific basis.  This is often the case with most Hindu rituals.  It is just that we have been following these rituals for such a long time without questioning that we do not know their deeper significance.  Had we bothered to ask our grandparents and elders about these practices, we perhaps would have better understood them.  

Let's consider a small example.  During Sankranti, on 14th of January (that's today, when I post this), there exists the practice of consuming a high-energy mixture of groundnuts, jaggery, lentils and sesame seeds, which on the face of it, appears to be just another cultural fad.  However, the mixture provides energy to ward off the effects of seasonal change.  Sankranti is the period when the sun makes it annual northern ascent, and marks the onset of spring and the harvest season with longer days; hence the need for additional energy during this period.  

Pseudosecular rationalists who decry every Hindu ritual, conveniently overlook the ignominious fake-healing sessions organised by pastors, ritual blood-letting of animals during 'holy days,' and female genital mutilation to control the 'hypersexuality of women,' to name just a few disdainful Abrahamic practices.  

Hinduism is the most scientific religion; you only need to look at the deeper significance of the ritual to understand this.  The mental and physical health significance of yoga and other spiritual practices of Hinduism are being validated through more and more western scientific studies. 

In addition, the spiritual experience of people who have had near-death experiences and those who have undergone regression therapy are in concordance with what's already written in the Vedas and the descriptions of exalted states by rishis.

Hindu festivals are polluting: 

It is extraordinary how environmental consciousness emerges in the pseudosecular mind just before Diwali every year!  Fireworks set off during Guy Fawkes Day in the UK, Olympics opening ceremonies, and new year celebrations across the world are apparently not as polluting.  

Many Hindu festivals are nature-based; they celebrate natural events such as harvests and solstices.  Hindu festival dates are arrived at as per the lunisolar Vikram Samvat and the panchanga calendars.  They are marked by lighting of lamps, decorations with fruits and flowers, wearing new clothes, and eating a vegetarian feast.  Most Hindu festivals do not involve animal killing, which is a routine practice in Abrahamic religions so much so that during certain festivals, streets are said to be coloured in red due to the mass killing of animals.  

More recently, environment-friendly options such as green crackers and clay Ganeshas for immersion are trends that are catching on.  There is also the flexibility of focusing only on the bhakti aspect of the festival without bursting crackers or immersing idols.  

Hindu artforms are sexually disinhibited: 

They are sexually expressive, is what they are.  From the greatest treatise on sex, Vatsyayana's Kamasutra, to the erotic friezes and sculptures of the Khajuraho temple complex, to the symbolic union of the male and female sexual organs in the form of the Shivalinga, Hinduism is the most sexually expressive religion in the world.  

Before you raise your questioning brows with a self-righteous smirk on your face, ask yourself this: how did you emerge into this world?  Not through 'immaculate conception,' I take it!  There is no delicate way of saying this: you are here in your physical body because your parents had sex with each other.  Abrahamic religions are preoccupied with the notion of sin, and consider sex and eroticism  condemnable, and brush them under the carpet.  Denial and repression of sex is rampant in puritanical societies, where women are treated as sexual objects to be safeguarded by covering them up like bank vaults.  

Harnessing the sexual energy is one of the requirements of the spiritual practice of kundalini yoga, the exact technique of which is a secret known only to genuine practitioners as it is likely to be misunderstood by the ignorant. 

Hinduism is the only religion that has included sex in the 4 purusharthas (the primary goals of human existence): dharma (right action), artha (wealth & prosperity), kama (sexual and other desires), and moksha (emancipation).  

Unfortunately, Hinduism's sexual expression in the form of literature, artworks and sculptures was severely subjugated first by the radical Islamist proscription, and then by the laws based on Victorian prudery of British colonialists.  

Oh, and by the way, Hinduism is the most LGBTQ-friendly religion in the world.

Further reading: 

Usually, I never venture into the multiplexes due to prior bad experiences, preferring instead, to catch a new release when it arrives on OTT platforms.  Even as I was watching this film, there was a group of people continuously chattering throughout the movie just behind us.  But I put up with all this only because of one thing: to make a statement.  When the filmmakers are sticking their necks out to show the truth as it is, and others are out to ban the film for the exact opposite reason, I thought I should express my solidarity with the former.  

About the A rating...

This film has been rated A by the censors.  Although understandable, this is unfortunate because adolescent girls, who are one of the gullible and vulnerable target groups, would be deprived of the opportunity to see radical evangelization in action in this film.  

While the ticket sellers were thoroughly checking the IDs of young people at the counters, I couldn't help wondering about the futility of this exercise, because in just a few weeks, this film will make its way to the OTTs where even five-year-olds will have access to it!  When it does, though, I hope adolescent girls do watch it.  

Be that as it may, even as I was walking within the theatre, I saw a family with a woman holding a young sleeping child - either they had given a written undertaking to the ticket sellers that they will keep their child sleeping throughout the film, or, more likely, they snuck in the child by hiding it while buying the tickets! 

Contents of the film...

I am not going to go into the technical aspects, or indeed, the performances in this film, all of which are very good.  I will leave that to the cine critics of which you will find plenty on the Internet.  I shall, instead, focus on the story on which the film is based.  I am also assuming that given the evidence presented towards the end of the film, these stories actually happened and the reasons behind them occurred as shown in the film.

It's also important to remember, as we go into this, that one should challenge the radical ideology per se, and not hate the person with such an idea.  Since Hinduism is the primary target of radical thoughts expressed in this film, I shall focus on this, and attempt to pass on the wisdom gained to the groups involved in or affected by the story of faith-based conversions and persecution. 

To the radicals...

One of your kind, a 'snake-in-the-grass' female recruiter in the film talks about Hindu Gods' powerlessness to defend Hindus, while her Almighty never lets them down.  Here's my counter: 

Why did a crane collapse, killing hundred of 'believers' in the holiest of holy places a few years ago?  Why do 'believers' suffer from hardships such as natural disasters, poverty, and diseases across the globe?  You may defend and deny as much as you want, but one just needs to take a peek in our neighbouring country's yard to understand the dangers stemming from the nexus between a theocratic government, a subversive military, and nonstate extremists.

Further, a woman's clothing does not afford her any protection against a determined sexual predator as has been reported in several crime news reports.  Admit it; the tent-like garb is an expression of extreme patriarchy and intended to keep the woman subdued, something that is harrowingly depicted in this film.  

To the pseudoseculars...

Are you okay with the reductive division of 'believers' and 'non-believers/kafir/heathen' of the entire human population?  How can these prescriptive religions proclaim that their's is the only correct path and that all others are false?  As it is, these book-based religions are yet to figure out if they should interpret their scriptures literally or figuratively.  

Indeed, this very confusion has resulted in the divergent, radical ideologies that the story of this film is based on.  This comes to the fore during several scenes, one such being the discussion whether the use of mobile phones is blasphemous or not.  

How is it that you, the paragons of scientific rigour and logic, are unable to see the stupidity inherent in such misogynistic customs as keeping women under tent-like body/head covers, female genital mutilations, and coerced marriages contingent on conversions of non-believers?

Why is it that you apply the law of free speech differentially?  A case in point: you were okay when the BBC documentary on Gujarat riots was shown in the streets, but silent when the governments of two states banned this film.  One loses count of the number of slurs that Bollywood has inflicted on Hinduism and its adherents over the years.  You ignored all of that, but you are up in arms over this film that has dared to call a spade a spade.

If these issues and the terrorist activities that stem from their misinterpretation do not open your eyes to the clear and present danger they pose to the world and to the future of humanity, I don't know what could be afflicting you.  Instead of calling out this radical ideology for what it is, you are intellectualizing and rationalizing the problem to the extent that one fine day, it will come back to bite you.  

To the parents of girls...

Watch the film and wake up!  As one of the characters asks her hypocrite communist father why he did not teach her about Hinduism, I ask you if you have done enough to educate your children about the beauty of Sanatana Dharma?  Have you told them why it is called so - the Eternal Religion? 

Have you told them about the innumerable Saints that have graced this beautiful land of ours and left behind a rich legacy of love and wisdom?  Have you taught them the meaning behind our customs and rituals, which often have a logical and/or a health-related basis for their existence?  

Have you taught them the basic tenets of Sanatana Dharma: sarvatmabhava (oneness of all souls), satya (truth), dharma (righteousness or right duty), karma (action and fruit of such action), and vasudhaiva kutumbakam (the world is one family)?  Have you pointed out that these values are more important than superficial rituals and a narrow, divisive worldview? 

To girls and young women...

Do not believe in 'love at first sight'.  It only signifies the psychological phenomenon of collapse of ego-boundaries - that is, you are only temporarily identifying with your lover.  When you regain your ego-boundary, the lover's shortcomings become painfully visible, or, in this case, his true colours.  

Instead, place high value on character assessment before you commit to any kind of relationship.  Looks are important initially, but in the long run, the harsh reality is that marriages are hard work, and require a high degree of commitment, trust and adjustment from both parties for them to work. 

Understand that love, in its truest sense, is unconditional.  The moment somebody says 'I shall marry you if you convert to my religion', run from such a person as fast and as far as you can.  You are perfect as you are, and if someone really loves you, he/she will accept you for what you are - your entire personality with its strengths and weaknesses, as well as your faith, language and culture. 

Beware that they will throw the caste brick at you.  Even though the concept of caste/varna/jati is only an indication of the professional groups that traditional Indian society was divided into, no doubt, casteism is a bane in todays' world.  But then, you should ask them, 'why is your own religion divided into so many sects and denominations?'  If there is only one formless Almighty, why then are adherents of these groups fighting amongst themselves for supremacy of their own ideology?

Remember that not all followers of prescriptive religions are radicals, but some are - telling them apart is the problem!  Be friendly with people of all faiths, but do not get so overinvolved that you fall for the indoctrination attempts of those with a proselytizing, bigoted mindset.  

Finally...

The message, one hopes, the followers of book-based religions get is that they live and let live: keep your religious practices, but make sure you are not harming others by disowning radical thoughts and respecting others' faiths.  As I have already said, our battle is with the ideology, not the person - it's the mind and the body that could be corrupted, not the Atman which is pure in all beings.  

Evangelism and conversions are reflective of the underlying insecurity of book-based religions and exposes their patronizing efforts at homogenizing the entire world according to their own restrictive worldview.  

For the reasons cited above, The Kerala Story is highly recommended viewing! 

May truth prevail and justice be done in the cases covered in this film, as well as in all cases of religious conversions and persecution.

Is being gay a social problem?

Gayness has existed since times immemorial; it’s only since Indian people started asserting everything about their personalities openly that we are waking up to the situation.  Bewildered by their own ignorance, parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, contrary to eons of cultural conditioning, are having to face the harsh reality that one of their sons, granddaughters, nephews or nieces is gay.  The situation is so glum that for many elders in India, the concept of homosexuality is an impossibility that they struggle to comprehend. 

If you look around, I am certain you can find an uncle or an aunt or a distant relative or a friend who has remained a ‘bachelor/spinster for life’, only because they were unable to declare their actual sexuality to the world for fear of ostracization by their family/community.  Either this, or they submit to the whims of their families and enter into fruitless and joyless matrimony, which if it lasts, is nothing short of torture. 

I am reminded of a recently married male patient who was advised to see me because he was not ‘participating’ in the marriage.  His mother expressed great hope in our therapy process and thought that he would be cured of his marital diffidence, whereas the bride’s side were vehement in their criticism of his family for conniving to get their ‘abnormal’ son married.  The girl even tried to touch him during therapy to demonstrate how he would recoil from her.  At home, the mother apparently stood guard outside the couple’s bedroom so that her son would not escape conjugal union with his spouse!  

What would you do in cases such as these?  How would you address a problem that was created to hide another problem?  How will you tell them that straight marriage is not the one-stop solution to all problems under the sun; that individuals will not be cured of their gayness if they are married off?

While all denominations of the LGBTQI spectrum face the ire of the ‘regulars’ to varying extents, it is the male-male relations that seem to receive the most flak from all quarters in our country.  I am not suggesting female-female relations are accepted without problems – they are not – but somehow men falling for men is considered to be more shocking and unacceptable. 

This is probably due to the expectations surrounding the male progeny; that he should be macho, in control of all situations, well educated, gainfully employed till retirement age, married to a woman who he can keep under his thumb, and able to procreate and raise children according to his family’s expectations.  Any deviation from this norm invites harsh criticism from all quarters, with an expectation of course-correction to fall back in line and ‘settle down’. 

Is homosexuality a disease?

Zoologists have observed homosexual proclivities in animal species as diverse as baboons, giraffes, dolphins, anglerfish, mallard ducks and cats, among others. The Homo sapiens species is no different.

Indeed, the more relevant question to be pondered upon is how is it possible for the entire humanity to be divided right down the middle into male and female genders? 

Birth, influence of genes/environment, physical gender, psychological gender and sexual feelings are complex factors influencing the ultimate gender/sexual expression of an individual.  This is reflected in the ever-increasing numbers of alphabets that are added to the acronym LGBTQ+ that indicates the gay community.  Therefore, reducing gender/sexuality to a binary is a reductive exercise and betrays a lack of understanding of these complexities. 

But ignorance and bigotry make for a deadly duo.  This is why gay people around the world have had to bear with insults, taunts, ostracization, victimization, discrimination, and the worst, conversion therapies.  Anybody who makes a claim that gayness can be cured like any disease is lying, and is probably operating under the influence of the deadly duo. 

Being gay is neither a disorder nor a crime.  Homosexuality has been removed from psychiatric diagnostic manuals such as the ICD-11 (devised by the World Health Organization) and the DSM-5 (devised by the American Psychiatric Association) since a long time. 

Whether it is a crime or not depends on where you are living.  There are still certain countries where the state and the majority of the population are afflicted by the deadly duo and homosexuality is considered a criminal offence.  It is not because gay people do not exist in such societies; it is just that they live a cloistered life, away from public expression.  I have seen this in students who come from a far eastern theocratic country where being gay is outlawed. 

Homosexuality is not a disease, but homophobia is!  Homosexuality is neither a lifestyle choice as surmised by upholders of traditional cultural values nor does it occur due to poor upbringing, as some parents of gay children fear it to be.  On the other hand, homophobia is a by-product of eons of erroneous cultural and religious conditioning.  Further, it can be indicative of the underlying insecurity and a 'fear of the unknown' on part of the ‘straight’ people who seem to operate under the influence of a slew of psychodynamic defence mechanisms and project these fears onto the gay community.

Ultimately though, it is all about the ego.  Families of gay people live in fear of stigma and ostracization.  Deeply affected by the diagnosis, they either live in denial of their son/daughter’s homosexuality and try to get them married, or if they do acknowledge the condition, they try to drag them along to dubious therapies in the vain hope of a ‘cure’.

This non-acceptance of homosexuality and the resulting distress caused by the attitude of their family, relatives and friends can result in gay people experiencing cognitive dissonance – a phenomenon characterized by a discord between how one feels from within and how one has to behave in the outside world.  Combine this with the guilt resulting from cultural and religious bigotry, and you will get some idea as to the pitiable state of mind that gay people have to endure for having been born that way in the wrong place and at the wrong time.    

What do the religions say?

It is most unfortunate that the LGBTQI discourse has been hijacked to some extent by 'wokeists' and pseudoliberals who never let go of an opportunity to pit it against Sanatana Dharma’s tenets, conveniently forgetting the patent homophobia that exists in prescriptive and converting religions.  

If anything, Sanatana Dharma has always been LGBTQI-friendly.  The only Hindu person who claims to have a cure for samlaingikata (that is homosexuality in Hindi), is a prominent yoga guru and Ayurvedic products manufacturer – no prizes for guessing who.  I am an admirer of his work in general, but I disagree with this claim, and I hope he desists from making such misleading claims in the future.   

Leave that aside, and you will find that our itihasas and puranas are replete with stories of LGBTQI characters who are part of the mainstream discourse and play a crucial role in the stories therein.  Mahabharata’s Shikhandini who later became Shikhandi is only one such example.  The enchanting damsel, Mohini, who tricked the Asuras into forgoing their share of the immortal nectar, Amrita, was Vishnu in a female avatar.  The Ardhanarishwara form of Lord Shiva shows Him as a union of the male and female forms.  Aiyappa, the celibate Hill-God of Kerala was born of the union of this very Mohini and Shiva.

These stores underscore the fact that everything in this universe is energy.  So, even gender should be seen as such; varying expressions of the same energy, depicted in different cultures as Purusha-Prakriti and Yin-Yang.

Further, in the Valmiki Ramayana, Lord Rama’s devotee and companion Hanuman is said to have seen rakshasa women kissing and embracing each other during his Lankan sojourn.  At another place, the Ramayana tells the tale of a king named Dilip, who had two wives, but died without leaving an heir. The story says that Lord Shiva appeared in the dreams of the widowed queens and told them that if they made love to each other, they would have a child.  The queens obeyed Lord Shiva and one of them got pregnant and gave birth to a child who grew up to be King Bhagiratha, best known for having brought Ganga from heaven to earth.

So, why did our culture that was so libertarian that it expressed sexuality on temple walls and in sex treatises become so close-minded and bigoted?

Most likely, it is due to the imposition of puritanism by western invaders/land occupiers that any matter relating to sex was severely curtailed, the crowning glory being the imposition of Article 377 by the British, which the Indian government foolishly continued even after the British themselves had legalized gay relations in their own country. 

As the scholar of Abrahamic studies, Sumit Paul, says: ‘Thousands of years of slavery and the restrictive Semitic civilisational influence transformed the collective mentality of Indians and changed their psycho-sexual behavioural ethos.  We began to condemn our own cultural heritage and history.’

It took a few enterprising NGOs to take the matter to the Supreme Court to have the article struck down.  Still, that’s only one part of the struggle; till date there are no equal civil rights to marry, or to register children/properties for gay couples (this matter is sub judice in the Supreme Court, as of April 2023). 

Spiritually, we are moving from one body to another; sometimes male, sometimes female, sometimes other genders.  So, a man might have been a woman in a previous birth, and may be reborn as a transgender in the next.  So why confine yourself to this birth alone?  If you look at it from the universal and spiritual perspective, it hardly matters whether you are male, female or other. 

As per spiritual healers and masters, your soul decides which body to inhabit prior to its earthly sojourn.  You are a spirit wearing the garb of a human body, put here to do certain actions with your free will so as to facilitate your karmic journey through this birth and the next with the ultimate aim of attaining moksha.  So, focus on that, and give up your fixation with ephemeral bodily features. 

What should parents/families do?

As I have written under sex education, have an open conversation with your child at the appropriate time about their sexual preference.  Alternative sexuality is a normal variation of sex expression, just as being left-handed or grey-eyed is.  There is more to your child than just his/her sexuality; look at developing their overall personality, academic interests and any other passion.  Do not reduce their life to fretting over the fact that they may not get married or have children.  There is more to life’s purpose than these events.  Remember that not everybody is cut out to get married or have children.

Whether we like it or not, whether governments of the day dither or not, whether radical religions oppose it or not, and even if self-appointed custodians of Indian culture send missives to the President asking for equal civil rights not to be granted to the gay community, gayness always was and always will be.  It will be accepted as being part of the mainstream in the future, if not now. 

As we emerge from the heteronormative prerogative of brushing aside anything queer under the carpet, we need to figure out how to uplift 'hijras'/'eunuchs' from a marginalized lifestyle that involves begging from and harassing people at traffic signals towards a more mainstream life of gainful employment through equal opportunities.  And yes, for that matter, toilets and restrooms would also have to be redesigned to be more inclusive of the LGBTQI community.  

I envisage a future wherein intimate relations would be an optional undertaking rather than mandatory, with the individuals having a wide range of sexual/gender diversity to select their partners from. 

Resources/references:

• LGBT banner picture: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT
• https://www.deccanherald.com/opinion/panorama/time-to-destigmatise-homosexuality-1152092.html
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homosexuality_in_India#:~:text=On%207%20September%202018%2C%20a,making%20homosexuality%20legal%20in%20India.
• Shikhandi: And Other Tales They Don't Tell You, Devdutt Pattanaik, Zubaan and Penguin Books India, 2014

In 2015, I somehow managed to contract a gut infection and was admitted in the hospital for about 10 days.  During the prolonged recuperation period post-discharge, I resolved that I should do something about my health/immunity.  I decided to take up yoga lessons and enrolled myself at a local yoga teacher's class.

Since then I have been doing yoga asanas, pranayama, meditative exercises, walking, and mild weight training, while taking adequate quantity and quality of mostly vegetarian diet.  Even though I am not practising vigorous yogic asanas, I make sure I do them regularly - more than the duration or intensity, I score high on consistency.  Yoga has become a way of life, something that I do as a daily routine.  

This has kept me going since then without any adverse health event, bar an occasional upper respiratory infection, and I continue to maintain my weight and fitness at a reasonable level.    

I have also advised patients that I see to take up yoga to maintain health, and/or to reduce the symptoms of disorders such as anxiety and stress.  I have tried to modify my own medical practice by incorporating holistic healing techniques, including Ayurveda and yoga, in collaboration with a qualified practitioner.

However, I have also realised that yoga is fraught with misconceptions and scepticism.  Generally, I divide the naysayers into two broad groups: sceptics and bigots.  The former are those who are genuinely sceptical about the health benefits of yoga; that is, they want to do it, but are uncertain about the overall effect of doing yoga.  They are more trusting of allopathic medical systems, and cast a distrusting eye over anything eastern/oriental.  

Then there are the bigots, by which I mean adherents of dogmatic religions who have been brainwashed into believing that anything outside their own religious practice is worthy of condemnation and derision.  These are the incorrigibles who will go to any extent to discredit, vilify, demonize and discourage anything that is remotely sanatanic, be it yoga, consecrated food, worshipping images/idols, or wearing bindis, for that matter.  

I quote a few examples.  A few years ago, a pastor in the US famously called yoga a 'demonic' practice.  When I was working in the UK, an Egyptian-Arabic doctor colleague spoke very condescendingly of yoga, and was dismissive of its healing power. 

As I have said with other book recommendations, there are times when you do not read a book for its literary merits.  Rather, you read for the content: the message it conveys and how it will affect you.  

This is one such book.

You might have wondered to yourself, what is life?  What is the purpose of our existence?  What should our life goals be?  Why do have relationship issues?  What should we avoid doing?  How are we doing in terms of achieving our goals in the phenomenal world, and in the spiritual sense?

If so, then this book is for you.

It only requires two things of you: belief and an open mind.  You won't be able to progress much if you don't believe the source of the messages contained in this book.  Secondly, if you are the ultra-rational type, who seeks a logical explanation for every occurring, then too, this is not for you.

Apart from the answers to larger issues mentioned above, here is a sample of the some of the words of wisdom that I perused in this book - spiritual mahavakyas, if you like:

• 'Yes, God exists!'
• 'Suicide is sin.'
• 'Murder is never part of God's plan.'
• 'On Earth, wise men created marriages to safeguard children...'
• 'Nothing happens before its time - so just wait and relax...'
• 'Do not be judgmental, but use your judgment.'
• 'Choose goodness for the sake of goodness itself.'
• '... all thoughts create energy, so be aware of what energy you are creating.'
• '...hope is essential to human survival.'
• 'Positivity is a choice no matter what the situation.'
• 'Fame on Earth has absolutely no value in the spirit world.'
• 'To do God's work means to use your position of strength to help others grow.'
• 'Whatever your path, learn to view it from a spiritual perspective.'
• 'Instead of feeling great, feel grateful.'

Though it is clearly mentioned in the book that 'there is no religion in the spirit world,' I could not help noting the obvious congruence of the messages with those of the scriptures of Sanatana Dharma.  

So, here are a few that indicate this:

• It is not God, but the Law of Karma that punishes us for our misdeeds.
• One can accrue both negative and positive Karma, according to the nature of our actions.
• '...reincarnation means the same spirit being born on Earth life after life.'
• 'Take action.  Do your best and leave the rest to God.'  [To me, this is a direct vindication of the overarching message of the Bhagavad Gita: do your duty and don't worry about the results.]
• 'Yoga is wonderful for the mind, body and spirit.'
• 'To know God is to know ourselves, discover who we are, and discover His goodness within us.' [Confirms the message of spiritual unity of all living beings with Brahman, as propounded by Adi Shankaracharya's Advaita philosophy]
• 'True success is spiritual success and not earthly success.' and 'Do not think of power.  Think of spiritual strength.' and 'Lead a simple, honest, kind and selfless life.'  [underpin the importance of viveka (discrimination), vairagya (non-attachment) and nishkama seva (selfless service), that are advocated for spiritual progress in Hinduism]
• 'The things that you can see are temporary; the things that are not visible are eternal.' [indicative of maya, which is the attribute of the phenomenal world that prevents us from realising Brahman, once again, from Advaita]
• 'There will come a point when Nature itself will erase negativity.'  There is also mention of 'shift of Earth's axis' and natural disasters that will wipe away negativity caused by human vice.  [comparable to pralayas (great dissolution of creation) that end each of the four yugas (time periods) mentioned in the Bhagavata Purana]

Bear in mind the spirit communications delivering these messages are from two recently deceased Parsi gentlemen to their mother.  Just like in my other book recommendation, Many Lives, Many Masters, it is reassuring for me to know that our rishis have, over the ages, given us the message of spiritual enhancement, which is only recently being vindicated by non-Hindu thinkers/writers and through scientific studies. 

Even if you are a sceptic, it wouldn't hurt to learn through the messages conveyed in this book and put them into practice, if only to become a better human being.

Highly recommended reading from an early age, so that we know what really matters in life and over what pursuits we need to invest our time and energy during our lifetime. 

Thank you, Vispi, Ratoo, Khorshedji and Rumiji.  May you reach the highest Universe and Realm.

Image source: https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/514KGkGN84L.jpg