Bajrang Dal and VHP

The Bajrang Dal and the VHP are an ugly BLOT on the Hindu community and Hinduisim.

Worse, they are a massive threat to the Indian Democracy.

And so is anyone who supports them

Read this NYT report: Hindu threat to christians: convert or flee


PS: this is why i dislike the world's preoccupation with religion

Comments

dharmabum said…
i feel most coverage on this aspect is terribly one sided, and you too seem to be seeing only one side of it. considering such a vast country, that such resentment has started sprouting in small pockets shows just how tolerant people here are. this is only the beginning. if we don't seriously sit and think about so called 'secularism' and the mindless way our politicians dish out policies in that name, it is going to get a lot worse, and there is going to be hell to pay.

u might want to read this -

http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?artid=jMz3AgcPT6o=&title=Kandhamal%20and%20Bengaluru&type=

i am not saying violence is right. i am saying nobody is talking of the real root cause of all this trouble. and nobody will, naturally, because vatican has enough money to pump into this country, and buy anybody who dares to talk.

the writer of the above article is already 'branded' as fanatic. pls read this one, too -

http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?artid=oqi6n5w6kGE=&Title=What+made+Hindus+angry+in+Karnataka&SectionID=XVSZ2Fy6Gzo=&MainSectionID=XVSZ2Fy6Gzo=&SEO=NEW+LIFE&SectionName=m3GntEw72ik=
Pooja Nair said…
hey dharmabum!

While the first article is interesting as it endeavours to point out the root cause, the second article i find is an irelevant tangent composed bya fantic with an agenda in mind.

Very typically, he gets on to a christian gods Vs hindu gods discussion (which i find irrelevent) and then rather predictably into a BJP Vs Congress talk.

The second article does not deserve to be taken seriously.

thanks for both the links...
mathew said…
Pooja..read this
http://pareltank.blogspot.com/2008/10/religion-not-site-for-violence.html
http://pareltank.blogspot.com/2008/10/new-indian-express-for-theocratic-india.html
Pooja Nair said…
a) the VHP and Bajrang dal r thmslves rsponsble for mking the kandha-panna issue a hindu-christian one.

b) we mst agree tht thre is nthing wrng wth missionaries tht through thr social wrk and whatever other peaceful tricks encourage conversions

c) Bt the VHP and Bajrand dal are cld-blooded, brutal, inhuman nd disrespectful and terrorise into conversions.

d) root cause must be explored bt nt to prvide a justification fr terrorism

e) Since when did people start "coverting" to Hinduism?

in the name of "ram" or "bajrang bali" these "hindus" are mudling up the very pillars of Hindusim.

if they want to copy other religions, why not start schools and missionaires instead?

cheers!
dharmabum said…
what you have mentioned as irrelevant, pooja, is to my mind the crux of the problem today. christianity and islam, to my knowledge, are the only two religions who think that there is only one right 'path', and that everybody else must - either by force or 'peaceful' means - be made to follow that particular way. and it is that notion that is precisely the root cause of all problems. this is my understanding - of course, scholars of those two faiths may question this - i am only a novice, and it is because i take interest in this that i took the time to study and find out.

what we need is objective discussions among scholars of different religions. i have for long, been taught that all religions preach the same thing. i am now beginning to wonder if that is true.

also - i wonder why you term the second article irrelevant. believe me, i went back to read it after i saw your comment, and find it entirely relevant to the larger issue.

and - you have also gone to the extent of branding him a fanatic - that comes as a surprise. so much for objectivity, for, he has only stated his views. that too one who is not indian in the first place.
Pooja Nair said…
@Dharmabum,

As long as conversions are peaceful, and the concerned people are converting willfully - we shouldn't have a problem. Should we?

If you are convinced about your religion, you shouldn't feel offended if someone tells you that your path is incorrect. They are only saying what they believe is correct. "Saying" is alright.

My objection is to brutality, insult and terrorization into conversion.

It stems from religious insecurity which is silly.

My opinion about the second author stems from the fact that he is serving as a 'justification' for the violence in Orrisa more than anything else.

Yes, the various religions have certain differences. By introducing conversions, the VHP and the Bajrang Dal et al are erasing those differences.

by making it forceful they are doing a great disservice to the very pillars of hinduism.

Which is what is the crux of my post.

@Mathew,

wow! thanks for sharing those links. This Pareltank guy comes across as a smart guy. May his tribe increase!
mathew said…
she is a smart chechi actually..very good blog on social issues..:-)
Anonymous said…
Much harm has been done in the name of religion over the centuries. It is nothing new, but it sure seems to me that we ought to have learned something from our human past: engage our minds in relating to those who differ from us, and our spirits in relating to those who share our beliefs. When we act in a rational manner we progress.

Something really repulsive in the article was the Bajrang Dal leader saying that the nun engaged in 'consensual sex.' I am not religious, but I am savvy enough about Catholicism to understand that this is a suspicious statement at best.

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