HINDU VALUES AND HINDU IDENTITY
Humans are not an evolutionary accident but an intentional creation, purposefully produced by God to fulfil a preordained role in his world. They are more than a mere assimilation of flesh and bones and are not just the bunch of different chemicals in a sack of skin. They have been shaped from the mud on earth in an artistic way not only with the words but also with the hands and breath of God,
As the whole being of God is involved in giving life to humans, the humans, in reciprocation also, have not disappointed the Lord. They have been loyal and proved their worth time and again. They spend major part of their life in his reverence and adopt different pathways based upon various faiths and beliefs to accomplish the same. They embrace different religions, which, although are at variance with each other, yet the search for truthfulness (God) remains universal across all of them. Be it the worship of idols, following the rituals, implementing the religious teachings in their day to day life or for that matter making the teachings as way of their life, each religion gives human being a realization of divine presence.
The Hindus, in particular, find such divine presence in their idol and to realize the same they transform an idol into a deity through various rituals taken from the Vedas and Puranas, giving it the capacity to accept prayers and grant boons. The temples and the deity within, all across the country, have undergone the same process of transformation since time immemorial. The consecration of Lord Rama at Ayodhya is also an extension of the same frame of mind. However, this ground breaking religious ceremony has gained more importance than usual because of the history attached to it as it marks the culmination of a long standing dispute. The place, which originally belonged to Lord Rama and was being illegally and forcefully captured centuries ago, was handed over to the heir apparent after a long legal battle opening a doorway for such statue establishment.
The statue establishment, for all practical purposes, is undoubtedly a resumption of the faith that devotees of Lord Rama have been longing for since centuries. However, we need to understand that the being of Lord Rama is much beyond the name of a Hindu God and his beauty lies in his character. The establishment of Lord Rama, therefore, should not be about the “Hindu identity’ only but about the “Hindu values” as well.
The debate should not be based upon the name of Lord but upon an exemplary character and virtues for which the Lord is being revered. His story, as described in the Hindu epic Ramayana, is a glorious tale of his victory over evil and his resolute adherence to righteousness in the face of insurmountable challenges and unbearable hardships. The “Man of Limits”, who displays a perfect moral as well as social behaviour and characterises how a person should fulfil moral commitments so to maintain the social order, should be highlighted rather than the slogans. Each recital of Ramayana which intends to make family members, especially the children, aware of the importance of inculcating virtues in life should be taught in an open forum.
Unfortunately, however, there is a gross discontinuity in what household teaches the children in the name of Lord Rama and what adults are doing in the name of Lord Rama. The menace of corruption is entrenched at all levels, dishonesty is getting buried deep within, violenc and deceit are becoming new normal in our public discourse. The temple, which in itself is a consecrated piece of ground, has attracted a number of controversies due to alleged misuse of donations, side-lining of its major activists and politicisation. It is here where we need Lord Rama again with us to tell us that it is his character that we need to debate today and not his name.
India desperately needs to reinvigorate its Hindu values, create high moral standards, rejuvenate the principles of truthfulness, integrity, honesty in our society and reduce the obsession with the identity. The land of Bharata needs to work on the basics of its foundation rather than get involved in superficial arguments with argumentative Indians. We need a social order nearer to “Ram Rajya” that is honest, committed and shows the highest standards of integrity. While it needs change both at the systemic and individual level, it is the individual level that can be the initiator for the larger change.
Dr. Pawan Suri
Comments
Post a Comment