23. Conclusion
23. Conclusion
�������� In
spite of Hinduism's nominal magnitude, the chance that Hinduism gets wiped out
by its enemies can no longer be discounted.�
More than ever, fortunes are spent on the war to destroy Hinduism in favour
of Islam or some suitably adapted variety of Christianity or Marxism.� The hostile activities of Islamic and
Christian agitators and the attempts at Hindu demoralization and loss of Hindu
self-respect by the secularists are now compounded by a fast-spreading loss of
Hindu memory at the mass level by consumerism and Western pulp media.� I have seen with my own eyes how local
cultures within European civilization are being as good as wiped out in a few
decades by the onslaught of mindless "Americanism", and this loss of
cultural roots is a major factor in the current defencelessness of the affected
populations vis-�-vis the rising threat of Islam.� Hindus would be mistaken to think that this cannot happen to their
old civilization; most civilizations at the time of their demise were old and
venerable.� For Hinduism too, time is
running out.
�������� The seriousness of the situation should
first of all concern the Hindus themselves.�
Come to think of it, I have very little personal stake in the political
success of Hindu revivalism and the continued existence of Hinduism.� Of course, there is an invaluable heritage
contained in the Upanishads and other Hindu books; but they are available in
Western libraries, we can take from them what we like without needing the help
of a living Hindu.� It was a comforting
idea to know that at least one ancient society had managed to preserve its
traditions down to the present, but if that society fails to defend itself and
disappears, I am confident that we can find our way without it.� If Sanskrit scholarship or yogic expertise
dies in India, I am sure some aficianados in the West will keep it alive as a
matter of antiquarian hobbyism, somewhat like the thriving clubs for amateurs
long-dead Pharaonic lore.� It is always
deplorable when a dinosaur dies, but we can survive the demise of
really-existing Hinduism without serious losses.� Whether Hinduism will survive as a living civilization in control
of its own territory, or merely as a museum piece, is a vital concern only for
the Hindus themselves.��� �
�������� The issue is the survival of the
besieged Hindu civilization.� The stakes
are high, and the question is whether Hindus intend to go for the big one or
settle for less.� A general rule for
this type of situation is that if you aim high and put in an effort
commensurate with the calibre of your goal, you may achieve it.� Even if you don't achieve it, you may still
achieve a number of lesser objectives as a spin-off of your effort.� But if you aim low, your enthusiasm and
hence your effort will be proportionately limited, so the chance is a priori
small that you will achieve anything more than your limited goal.� Further, your enemies will try to thwart
your little efforts with as much zeal as they would your big efforts, so you
may still fail to achieve what you intended to.� If the Hindu movement continues to aim for petty gains and
peripheral achievements, it will continue to fail in its real task, and even
the hoped-for petty successes may continue to elude it.
�������� If the Hindutva politicians and
activists want to spare themselves the prospect of going down in history as a
bunch of buffoons, who stood by and worked on inconsequential things while
their country was taken over by their mortal enemies, they will have to get
their act together quickly.� Instead of
wasting energy on petty politicking and limited goals such as the reconversion
of sacred sites, all eyes should be set on the major goal, which is the
liberation of fellow Indians from the predatory religions which have alienated
them from their ancestral culture.� The
goal could in fact be set even higher, so as to include among other things the
emancipation of the West-Asians and the liberation of the Kaaba (a temple to
Hubal, the Arab Shiva) from Islam; but it will already be good if the
self-styled vanguard of Hindu society can save its own people and country.�
�������� There is nothing
"fundamentalist" or "fascist" about this.� The emancipation of fellow Indian from
closed creeds is a very humane and responsible project.� It could best be summed up in the motto with
which the Muslim-born humanist Ibn Warraq opens his book Why I Am Not a
Muslim: "The best thing we can do for Muslims is to free them from
Islam."� More concretely, it is the
only way to avoid the extremely bloody conflagrations which are sure to break
out if the Muslim and Christian agitators smell victory in ever-larger sections
of the country.� As they smell blood,
they will become more openly and more fiercely aggressive and Hindus will not
go down without a fight; the subsequent loss of life should not be minimized as
just one more of those inevitables in history.�
The ideologies which pit believer against unbeliever should be
neutralized before they can add some more achievements to their ugly record.
�������� As part of this great project, smaller
projects such as a Common Civil Code or the restoration of some Hindu sacred
sites may be legitimate steps on the way, depending on the circumstances, and
even temporary compromises with the hostile forces may be justified in certain
cases; but the final goal should be kept uppermost in everyone's mind.� In the case of the organized Hindutva
movement, there is reason to fear that amid all its campaigns for limited
demands it has lost the awareness of the larger challenge.� Today, when you question Hindutva leaders
and ideologues about their puzzling policy of kowtowing before Mohammed and
Nehru, the typical answer is that this is all part of a very very clever
strategy which you unfortunately haven't understood yet.� Admittedly, victorious strategists have
often started out with seemingly self-defeating moves which their underlings
didn't understand but which produced the desired results in the long run.� Let the Hindutva spokesmen ask themselves if
their own clever tricks have this calibre, and whether they are really
outwitting their enemies rather than themselves.