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The Soul of India

P. A. Joseph P. A. Joseph
08 Jan 2024

In the context of Indian politics, reading the Bhagavad Gita, Mahabharata, Ramayana and the profound Upanishads, Vedas, etc., we contemplate the soul of India. Though BJP, the platform of the RSS, boasts of its Hindu heritage, it displays no depth of its "Hindu" heritage. Hinduism, in many ways, is far superior to many religions, which have too many codes and limits. Real Hinduism is a way of living, a living culture which has real seeds of salvation and the route to the ultimate and final goal (moksha). It is fantastically deep in faith, manifested in tolerance, open-mindedness, welcoming everyone, belief in peace with all, ahimsa (Gandhi), compassion, and oneness with every human being. It does not know the language of domination and leaves the follower free.

Even if a believer leaves Hinduism, it does not tackle the one with punitive measures. In religious practice, Hindus are free; they can express devotion, even sacrifices, which have various ways and patterns and are not limited to any special codes or rules. A Hindu in India would respect the Constitution and accept its preambles.

As the Constitution respects all religions, one wonders about the attitudes of the BJP, which contradicts the teachings of the sacred Hindu books and traditions. What is the meaning of Ghar Vapsi (return to home), threats to Christianity and Islam, the destruction of places of worship, extra control of other religious places, etc? If the rule of India is its Constitution, which all accept, do we not notice the contradictions of BJP ideology?

India is a union of states. India is the voice of people resounding it. India is the breath of the people. This breath of India needs to be protected from those who deny it. It needs an imagination of its depth and worth. To ignore all these is to deny the history of India. Boasting of being the biggest democracy in the world while forgetting everything that led us to this point is a contradiction of history. Democracy demands to keep up and maintain the democratic structures. All these need rethinking, rediscovering, reinterpreting, and redesigning the soul of India under the light of India's Constitution. The function of India is to live the soul of India, to develop everyone, to stop injustice/inequality arising through the caste system, empower the people through employment, open the minds through education, strengthen the people through health care systems, make rural area powerful through agriculture, and small-scale industries, include Dalits in envisioning the developmental projects, provide reservation to SC, ST, and all who need/deserve it.

All these follow the nation's secular fabric, keep India united, and keep away every sign of division. All should have access to all media channels to speak, write, listen, and gather; no institutions must be targeted; CBI, ED, etc., need to be seldom negotiated with. If we reach such a point, we can boast that India is the biggest democracy; if not, we deserve ridicule.

We have a long way to go!! Start now!

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