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The religious right in India is fondly called the Sangh Parivar or Hindu fundamentalists by the media and increasingly by the common man. This Parivar or family consists of the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh), the VHP (Vishwa Hindu Parishad), Bajrang Dal, Shiv Sena and bits of the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) as well as their sister organizations. Now, they don’t equate with the religious right in the West also called Christian fundamentalists because these Hindu organizations don’t preach or practice the Hindu scriptures literally, but take a self-made distorted view of them.
Like the Christian fundamentalists in the West that also involve in a lot of charitable work, these Hindu right-wingers also do a lot of good in the community which go almost invisible. The RSS was probably the most organized group in helping victims of the 2006 tsunami. The VHP runs many one-teacher schools in rural areas educating millions of poor children. Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram works for the welfare of the tribals.
But the religious right in India seem to be doing equal if not more harm. Firstly, they antagonize Western religions by saying not only hurtful things but also sometimes silly quips such as that Muslims to consider Bharat mata as a mother goddess and should therefore sing Vande Mataram which goes very much against their religious views.
What is of late causing immense worry about these Hindu right-wing organizations is their absolute lack of tolerance or respect to alternative views and their recourse to violence to get their voices heard and their grievances redressed. One of the famous recent examples is their vandalism of any artwork or gallery supporting MF Hussain’s works. Admittedly, Hussain hurt many Hindus’ sentiments by painting Gods and Goddesses in the nude, but art is art and freedom of expression is pivotal in a democratic society.
Another of their long-term aims is to make India a Hindu Rashtra (nation). The so-called secularism practiced by most political parties in India is synonymous with Muslim appeasement and therefore the dissatisfaction. However, instead of trying to implement respect and secularism, these groups seem to want totalitarian Hindu rule which goes against the ethos of independent India. It is especially the recent surge in violence by these groups to get their partisan ends met that is a disturbing trend.
The Sangh Parivar is also intolerant of minority groups within the Hindu fold. They impose the practice of a so-called refined Hinduism devoid of its multi-traditional inclusive worldview. For the first time in the history of Hinduism, right-wingers form a coordinated denial and refusal to accept alternative sexualities and are fighting the proposed decriminalization of homosexuality.
However, complaining alone does no good; what are the solutions to curb the narrow corrupted worldview of the Hindu right-wing? I suggest the infusion of educated and liberal young blood into these groups. Liberal because, once again, probably for the first time in Hinduism, there are these ultra-conservative groups that want to model Hindu society on the same structure of the organized religions that they so vehemently oppose. And youth because Hinduism has always been an evolving religion that is so progressive that for many centuries it used to be ahead of its times, but is now regressing backwards because of prejudiced and senile leadership.
Have you any other suggestions?
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