Fight the abominable social, cultural and ritual discriminatory practices than leaving Hinduism writes retired DGP

DGP ( R) K. S. JANGPANGI

Rajendra Pal Gautam who has resigned as minister from from Delhi govt has all the rights to embrace any religion he wants provided it is voluntary and without any external influences. But he has absolutely no right to berate and denigrate Hinduism. Denigrating Hinduism has acquired a kind of flavour among many so-called anti BJP / RSS haters and Modi’s blind critic. Historically Hinduism has been highly discriminatory towards dalits, women and lower castes people. But answer to such discrimination by caste Hindus is not leaving Hinduism but to fight its discriminatory social, ritual and cultural practices. The constitution of India and various laws also provide protection to dalits against such abominable discriminatory social and cultural practices.

They and other socially active individuals and groups must vigorously fight for removal of all vestiges of caste discriminations and cultural isolation of disadvantageous social groups. Did embrace of Buddhism by Ambedkar in protest against Hinduism change the fate of dalits? The answer is obvious. Therefore leaving Hinduism and embracing other religions is not the emancipatory path the dalits should adopt. Other religions too are exploitative than Hinduism. Their caste will not desert them even if they leave Hinduism and migrate to other religious order. At least Hinduism in many other respect is more liberating than Abrahmanic or other indic religions. Dalits shouldn’t therefore leave Hinduism to any religion but fight the evils of Hinduism by remaining within Hinduism. That will provide them required zeal and gusto to fight the social inequalities and cultural distortions prevalent in Hinduism. Casteism is the worst enemy of Hinduism. If Hinduism has to become invigorating and socially uplifting experience it will have to exorcise all shades of casteist tentacles and its residual embers. The sanatan panthic forces have to come strongly to wage war against casteism and its evil social and cultural effects. The time is most opportune for such war against caste and its embers as Hinduism is beset with many challenges now. Hinduism can survive the challenges only if it can eradicate casteism and its multiple manifestations from it’s socio- cultural life and ethos.

( These are personal views of the author )