Memoranda for Submission to the Chief Ministers of the Two Telugu States.

Articles

How do we build the Hindu Community

Dt:  29/10/18

 

How do we build the  Hindu Community

 

Dr T.H.Chowdary*

 

There are  several denominations  among Christians  - Methodists, Baptists, 7th Day Adventists, Anglicans, Catholics, Syrian Christians , Russian  Orthodox etc., up to over eighty.  Christians of each denomination go to their  Church on Sunday, are  harangued by a  priest, pray together, receive the sacrament and  fraternise with one  another. 

 

2. Among Muslims there are  Sunnis, Shias, Ismailis, Ahmedias, Bohras. Followers go to their  respective  mosques  on Fridays, pray together led by an  Imam who delivers a sermon including  comments on social and  political  affairs that affect Muslims . 

 

3. Among us Hindus , some are devotees of Hanuman; Rama; Durga; Siva; Lord Venkateswara, Kali etc.  Since Sunday is holiday for all, the devotees of  Hanuman should go to the  Hanuman temple; devotees of  Balaji to Venkateswara  temple, devotees of  Siva to Siva temple and so on.  There could be two  congregations,  morning  and  evening.

 

4. If there are several  Hanuman/ Siva/ Balaji temples in a town / city, two/ three may be  chosen for these  congregations.

 

5. The service should start with a pravachan in the  nature  of exposition on Dharma; drawing  from episodes in Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagavata  etc. We must train and  remunerate   Pravachan kars.

 

6. The pravachan should be  followed by a Bhajan.  We must train Bhajan Gurus and  remunerate them.  The Bhajan should be followed by distribution of  Prasadam.

 

 

7. The present practice of  individuals and  families  visiting  temples on different days, at different times  and  having darshans and  having  pujas performed by Archakas may continue.

 

8.  But in order  to forge and  foster the Hindu community to preserve, promote and  defend  Hindu dharma,  Sunday  congregations  at temples of different  deities ( Ishta Devatas) must be  organised.

 

8. We may recall that the  late  Lokamanya  Bala Gangadhar Tilak initiated and popularised  community  Ganeshotsavas precisely to build Hindu  communities  and  forge  solidarity among  Hindus, transcending  caste and  language and  hometown.    Every day, during the  festival, there used to be  Chakri Vyakhyaanas  - Round Table  discussions  conducted  by leading  intellectuals.  Through and at these  discussion,9 desabhakti (patriotism) along with  Daivabhakti was promoted.

10. 

The poet laureate Lord Tennyson of  England wrote :

 

The old  order changeth yielding  place  to new

Let one good custom should  corrupt the  entire  world.

 

11. Hinduism is not a dogma; it is  most rational and in tune with  nature; that is  why it is  called  dharma, that which  upholds, keeps together.

 

12. Islamists  and Christian evangelists  are essentially in tolerant of  each  other  and  together, intolerant of Hindu – Buddhist-Jainism-Sikh.  They are  Internationally funded and motivated to convert Hindus . They find  fissures (like  caste, poverty, ignorance) among us and  widen them. They are  aided  by resident, non-Indians- RNIs ( Marxists- Communists-left-liberals “secular” anti-Hindus).    The historic means of  exposition of  Dharma  like Harikathas, Melas,  itinerant Haridasas and  Swamis are  dying; in any case they are  inadequate in a fast urbanising society. That is why I am  proposing the building of a vigorous  Hindu  community just like Christian and Muslim communities.  Just as Churches and  Mosques are  centers of community  solidarity, so should our temples  become. 

 

11. Finally, we may note that strong  Hindu communities,  transcending language and  caste  have  emerged  among  Hindu emigrants  in Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad and  Tobago; Mauritius and  Fiji and  even in South  Africa. Temples  there are called “Hindu Churches “ and Hindus visit these on Sundays, while Christians go to their  different  Churches . Ramacharita Manas of  Tulsidas is their “Bible” and the  “service” resembles that in   Churches.  This is  how Hinduism is preserved despite the  former  colonial  masters/ rulers’ patronage to Christianity .   (592 words)

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